Is it clickbaiting to have pets?

Patrick Bardelli

6.4.2023

Translation: Katherine Martin

Pictures: Patrick Bardelli

Wolfgang von Goethe once said that life without cats is possible, but pointless. I’d go one step further. If you ask me, life without pets is possible, but pointless. But is that clickbaiting?

Every so often, people in my line of work are accused of clickbaiting. Wikipedia (link in German) describes the practice as plugging web content in order to generate more page views. Basically, it gives anyone who publishes internet content exactly what they want: clicks, which lead people to read, watch or listened to the content that’s been produced. In turn, these clicks generate advertising revenue.

With this in mind, content creators choose images and titles that’ll allow as many people as possible to enjoy their stories. After all, doing the opposite would be kind of dumb. If you ask me, this means that everything published on the net is clickbait. I mean, it does aim to be clicked on. But that’s just how I see the issue. So, what’s all this got to do with pets?

That’s right, here comes a cat pic

Recently, I was taking a photo of some sports glasses I was reviewing when one of my cats jumped into the picture. On one hand, I really liked the photo I ended up with. On the other, I wanted to find out whether my cuddly four-legged friends really generate as many clicks as people claim.

In actual fact, the teaser image of the glasses alone was clicked six times more than that of the cat. Nevertheless, I was still accused of clickbaiting. Always one to make lemonade when life gives me lemons, I decided to write an article about my pets and their significance in my life. Yes, I included some photos in it, but doing so makes absolute sense within the context of the story. So it’s not clickbaiting. I hope.

It’s a cat’s and dog’s life

I had a bunch of different pets right from early childhood. We had a hamster, a hopping mouse and a rabbit living with us, as well as a tank of fish in our living room cared for exclusively by my father. The same went for the fish in the garden pond. I, on the other hand, was the one who took care of the rodents.

As an adult, I became a cat-owner for the first time before going a long stretch without any pets. These days, my family and I have a dog and two cats.

Recently, I was sitting in the garden at dusk, a pale moon in the sky. Suddenly, my furry housemates surrounded me. Our two cats Juri and Mojo played hide-and-seek with one another while our dog Mac preoccupied himself with his favourite blanket.

It’s these kind of moments in life that give me inner peace. They allow me to ground myself for a little while – something I ordinarily have a hard time doing. Being on an even keel isn’t exactly my thing. It’s partly why I do sport – another thing that helps me find these rare, blissful moments of serenity. And my pets do the same.

That’s why I, like Goethe before me, think life without cats (and dogs) would be pointless.

Patrick Bardelli

Senior Editor

Patrick.Bardelli@digitecgalaxus.ch

From radio journalist to product tester and storyteller, jogger to gravel bike novice and fitness enthusiast with barbells and dumbbells. I'm excited to see where the journey'll take me next.

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