coexistence with pets

There are tales from the past where pets were not so much dogs and cats, and only the most well-to-do had horses. People walked from one destination to the next, and the pet who kept them company was a mouse or a cricket. During many of the years I've lived in Austin, Texas - we had gerbils and they brought us considerable happiness and companionship. Had I to do it again, however, I think I'd try to learn ways not to interfere with their freedoms as individual creatures. Would there have been ways for them to be companions without keeping them in cages? I'm sure the answer is yes, even though I don't know how exactly we might have worked that out.