People with pets have considerable advantages over people without pets. Numerous studies on the relationship between human beings and animals proven this. Pets bring joy to their holders; they help them to feel less lonely or depressed. For children, pets are teachers, playmates, and confidantes rolled up in one. Pet-holders bear the full responsibility for the well-being of the animals, their appropriate housing and keeping. Consequently, in addition to loving your animal, you also require greater knowledge of its nature and requirements as well as knowledge of the corresponding legal stipulations.

The requirements of domestic animals and pets depend on their origin, their biology and their behavior. Please refer to the chapter “Biology and Behavior” to find additional information on select species and groups of animals on the following pages. The information is restricted to domestic animals and pets that, as a rule, are not kept for commercial purposes.

It is under “Housing issues” that you will find concrete advice on the animal-friendly keeping of certain species.

Unfortunately, even the best possible housing and keeping of animals does not prevent them from falling ill. It is under “Health issues” and “Most frequent diseases” that you will find useful information per animal species or animal group.

Unfortunately, good animal keeping and what the law stipulates are not always congruent. Often, the Swiss Animal Protection Act only requires the absolute minimum – which is insufficient from the point of view of animal protection. Nevertheless, it is important for animal holders to know and adhere to the legal stipulations governing animal keeping.