Americans love pets. And it s not just puppy love， either. Many pet owners treat their furry¹ friends as part of the family. Sometimes they spice up their pets lives with entertaining videos and amusing toys. If they have an eye for fashion， pet owners can dress their pets in stylish² clothes. For special occasions， they can use canine³ perfume to make their dogs smell well. You might say Americans treat their pets like they treat their children-sometimes even better.

There are more households with pets than those with children in America. At least 43 percent of U.S. homes have pets of some sort. Exotic creatures， such as monkeys， snakes and even wolves， find a home with some Americans. More common pets include tropical fish， mice and birds. But the all-time favorites are cats and dogs， even at the White House. The Bushes dog， Spot， has replaced the Clintons cat， Socks， as reigning⁴ First Pet. Americans sometimes have strong feelings about whether dogs or cats make better pets. "Dog people" and "cat people" often enjoy friendly rivalries⁵.

Beneath the furry luxuries， there lies a basic American belief： Pets have a right to be treated well. At least 75 animal welfare organizations exist in America. These provide care and adoption⁶ services for homeless and abused animals. Veterinarians can give animals an incredible level of medical care for an incredible price. To pay for the high-tech⁷ health care， people can buy health insurance for their pets. And when it s time to say good-bye， owners can bury their pets in a respectable pet cemetery⁸.

Pets are as basic to American culture as hot dogs or apple pie. To Americans， pets are not just property， but a part of the family. After all， pets are people， too.

参考译文（来自互联网）

美国人很爱宠物，而且还不是一时的激情。很多宠物主把这些毛绒绒的朋友当作家庭一员，有时候还为它们准备有趣的录像带和玩具，让它们过得有滋有味。如果主人时髦的话，他们还会给自己的宠物穿上时髦的衣服。在一些特殊场合，他们甚至为狗喷上专用香水，这样它们闻起来就香喷喷的啦。可以这样说，美国人待他们的宠物就像待自己的孩子——有时有过之而无不及。

有宠物的家庭比有孩子的家庭还多。至少43%的美国家庭养有不同种类的宠物，有些还饲养外来品种，例如猴子、蛇甚至狼；更常见的宠物有热带鱼、老鼠和鸟。不过，猫和狗一直是最有人气的，即使在白宫也不例外。布什的狗——斯波特已经取代了克林顿的猫——袜子，成为高高在上的"第一宠物".最好的的宠物到底是猫还是狗？美国人有时候被这个问题弄得牵肠挂肚的。 "爱狗的人"和"爱猫的人"呢，也经常喜欢彼此调侃一番。

在宠物奢华享受的背后，其实存在着美国人的一种基本信念：宠物有权受到善待。美国至少有75个动物福利组织，他们为流离失所以及受到虐待的动物提供照顾与领养服务。兽医给动物提供的医疗护理好得令人难以置信——价格自然极其昂贵。 若是为了负担高科技的卫生保健，主人可买到宠物健康保险。宠物死时，主人还可以买到一块体面的墓地安葬它们。

宠物是美国文化中很基本的一部分，就如热狗和苹果派一样。对美国人而言，宠物不仅仅是私人财产，而且还是家庭的一部分。毕竟，宠物也是"人"啊！