Do You Love Your Pet More Than Your Children? Exploring the Unique Bond Between Humans and Pets

Loving a dog more than children can be influenced by the unique emotional bond you have with your pet. Dogs provide a sense of comfort, loyalty, and non-judgmental affection, which may feel less complex than human relationships, including those with children. It's important to recognize that love for pets and family members can coexist in different ways. For more on family dynamics and pet love, check out my Quora Profile!

The Unique Bond

I personally don’t have kids and never will so this question was kinda pointless to me. But what I can say is that I love dogs in general more than my family for example. Sounds kinda rude or even selfish in some ways but what can I do? The only things that go above dogs are my best friend and my country. If I was to have children, I'd say they would be pretty much on the same line. As much as I hate humanizing dogs, they are like children to me but require different things and boundaries. But I've always loved animals, especially dogs. I’ve never met a dog I didn’t like. Whenever I see one, I want to make friends with them, stroke their soft coats, rub them behind their ears, and give them a massage. My significant other feels the same. Like me, he was much older than his siblings but he had to help his mother in looking after not just one but four more children. He said the same thing that I’d felt when pondering whether or not I’d have kids: “I don’t want to go through this again.” But he loved my dog Sandy, my Corgi/Cattledog mix. I could tell by the way he patiently won over a jealous Sandy as well as the way he gently cradled Sandy in his arms when she jumped in his lap.

Reasons for Decision

After Sandy finally departed to the Rainbow Bridge, I was heartbroken. When I moved in with my partner, we rented a house in the suburbs and soon made friends with the neighbor’s dog Sam. When the family split up, we found out that the husband, who was Sam’s primary owner, couldn’t keep his dog. We adopted him. He came to us with a nasty ear infection and food issues because apparently he’d been fed a vegetarian diet. He blossomed under our care like a big yellow rose but would never eat vegetables! After Sam passed on, we adopted Pinky, who showed his gratitude by licking me all the way home in the car until my face and hair were wet. He licks me when I get home from work after a stressful day and am hiding in the toilet so I can be alone. And he licks me good morning.

All through my 20’s and 30’s, I’ve been hassled about not having children, not just by my mother and other relatives but by friends, colleagues, and perfect strangers. They seem to think I’m not a real woman but a cyborg with no human feelings. My mother even got into one of her Big Tremendous Huff when her friend asked me whether I’d enjoyed the movie Nine Months starring Hugh Grant and Julianne Moore and I told her that while I’d really enjoyed it, I wasn’t inspired to get pregnant any time soon. Unbeknownst to me, my mother was approaching and had heard what I’d said. She stopped speaking to me for a few weeks, maybe over a month. But I’ve never regretted my decision. My fur-kids have always been so easy to love. In fact, I fall more and more in love with Pinky every time I look into his beautiful amber eyes.

The Bigger Picture

One significant factor in my decision is that a human being uses more of the earth’s resources than a pet animal. So, I have prioritized having pets over having children. I think that says it all!

This exploration into the love for pets versus children highlights the complex emotional relationships we form with both humans and animals. It invites us to reflect on our priorities, ethical considerations, and the unique roles pets and children play in our lives.