Do you love your pets as much as you would your children?

Contributor: WhoopieDoo WhoopieDoo
I'm a total cat lady. My cats are my babies.
11/27/2011
Contributor: Beck Beck
Ok not that much, but they are loved like children.
11/27/2011
Contributor: mizzmilla mizzmilla
I adore my dog, more than anything because I don't have children yet.
11/27/2011
Contributor: Airen Wolf Airen Wolf
Quote:
Originally posted by TheSlyFox
Do you think of your pets as children? or love them as much as you do your children? I mean, i love my pets lots, and think of them kind of like children, but not as extreme.
I used to think that I loved my pets like I would my children...then I had children and learned the difference. Pets are family members but not children at least for me.
11/27/2011
Contributor: CreamySweet CreamySweet
Quote:
Originally posted by TheSlyFox
Do you think of your pets as children? or love them as much as you do your children? I mean, i love my pets lots, and think of them kind of like children, but not as extreme.
I love our two idiot german shepherds but not like I love our children. Pets of any kind are just that to me - pets. They are animals that serve as companions and a utilitarian purpose but they are not humans and as such I don't place them at that level... though granted I will take our two dingbat dogs over about 90 percent of the world population of humans.
11/27/2011
Contributor: js250 js250
No, not as much as my child!!! A hell of a lot, though.
11/28/2011
Contributor: Gunsmoke Gunsmoke
Quote:
Originally posted by Drakoni
Pets are pets. They aren't the same as kids...in my opinion, they are better than kids. But, not everyone will feel that way. I actually cannot stand most kids and have never felt inclined to having kids. One trip to the grocery store on a ... more
Many of your observations are correct - but it's not a change in children. The cause are parents who refuse - or have no idea how to parent. Raising children well means taking some actions that are not welcomed by them and are frowned on by society.

Without discipline and guidance kids will naturally feel entitled, act spoiled and exhibit poor dis-respectful behavior.

You don't have to abuse children to discipline them, but you have to make them understand that they do not rule the household - much less the world. It's been pretty well proven that a lack of self-esteem is not the problem - the problem is self-esteem with no basis in fact is the problem today.

Self-esteem with no basis in accomplishment leads to the feeling of entitlement that we see so much in kids today.

Pets are pets. To love a pet more than a child is in my opinion a gross misrepresentation of what role pets are suppose to play in our lives.
11/28/2011
Contributor: Rin (aka Nire) Rin (aka Nire)
I don't want kids, and sooner or later I'm getting my tubes tied just to be 100% sure that I won't ever get pregnant. I'm generally uncomfortable/annoyed when I'm around young children, though there are a few exceptions (my nephews, for example - I love them to pieces). So I'd much rather have a pet than a child. That said, I'm aware that pets can't replace children if you have both, and I would hope that parents always hold their children as #1 in their hearts.
11/28/2011
Contributor: Breas Breas
I love my pet like a child, though I do not have a child.
11/28/2011
Contributor: married with children married with children
pets are just pets. I love my kids.
11/28/2011
Contributor: Ms. Spice Ms. Spice
I love my dog, but I don't think I could ever compare that love to the kind of love my mom has for me and siblings (I use my mom as an example because I don't have kids of my own). Loving a pet and loving your kid seems to be two different types of love, and I would *hope* that parents love their kids more than their pets. Pets are wonderful, don't get me wrong, but I would pick my (most) of my family members over my dog.
11/29/2011
Contributor: bayosgirl bayosgirl
Because my husband is an asshole and I won't be having any kids with him (and likely will be getting an annulment soon), my pets are the only children I'll be having for awhile. Ever since I was a little girl, animals have been a comfort and support to me, and I can't fathom people being indifferent to them, let alone abusive.
11/29/2011
Contributor: K101 K101
Sorry, but I have love for my babies just like I do my real babies. I see nothing so "disturbed" and "wrong" with it unless your actual kids are being neglected or something. There's nothing wrong with loving your kids AND your pets. It just means you KNOW HOW TO LOVE and enjoy giving it. Pets are kind of... therapeutic to those who can appreciate it. They really are!

For some people having a pet they love like a child is better than having an actual child so I don't understand why people have such a problem with what others do? I mean, if someone loves their pet as much as their other fam members how does that affect me to the point where I would get angry? That's a little extreme.

We're animal lovers, nothing wrong with it. God created animals with as much love as he did people. I wouldn't ever neglect the kids and show more attention to the pets and of course I won't let them just do anything, but I love them in a way very similar to the love I have for the kids. So freaking what?! Pets can be really good. I don't understand why people are so free to treat them like some nasty creature sent to plague the world.

We don't go all out and carry our pets everywhere we go, we don't put Christmas presents under the trees for them, but we enjoy having them, loving them and getting love from them. Pets CAN be good for families who love them. I'm happy with my weiner dog, 3 cats and Hubert the Hamster, but I wouldn't love them MORE than my kids. Equally is OK.
11/29/2011
Contributor: TransMarc TransMarc
I don't have children, but clearly you can't share the same things with pets you might with children!
Then, I don't know, I like my pets more than some people, less than some others. I guess if I ever have children and like them less than my pets, there would seriously be a problem in our parent-child relationship.
I can understand how you can prefer pets to people, though, even though I don't. I mean in some relationships (lovers, parent-children, really close friends) I won't, then I might prefer them to some friends. Such a difficult question...
05/06/2012
Contributor: lovekink lovekink
Quote:
Originally posted by Shellz31
My pets ARE my children. They are cheaper, cleaner, better behaved and just easier than real children.
I'm happy with just my 4 legged kind. Don't want human ones!
I am so with you!!
05/06/2012
Contributor: Terri69 Terri69
Kitty is my baby!!
05/06/2012
Contributor: SimpleTeaser SimpleTeaser
Quote:
Originally posted by P'Gell
I simply can't love an animal the way I love a human. I do love my dogs, and our bunny, and all the animals we've had. But, they are not children nor are they human.

I really hate when people are talking about their kids and someone ... more
I 100% agree with this comment.
05/07/2012
Contributor: meezerosity meezerosity
My pets are my children. I don't plan to ever have kids, just cats
05/07/2012
Contributor: asphyxia asphyxia
I can't say anything about how I feel about our pets vs. children because we don't have any kids. I can say that I love our dogs and cats dearly. We call them our babies.
05/07/2012
Contributor: Allstars316 Allstars316
No children here. But I do like my puppy,
05/07/2012
Contributor: Geogeo Geogeo
Quote:
Originally posted by Chilipepper
Being as I plan on not having children, my pets are my babies. I know it's not the same type of love of parent for child, but I still love and adore my furry babies.

(Ex-husband and I used to refer to dogfood/catfood as 'baby food' ... more
Same here. Not planning on having kids so my cats are my life, though I don't dress them up or anything silly.
05/08/2012
Contributor: BlooJay BlooJay
I like my pets a lot.
05/08/2012
Contributor: xOhxSoxScandalousx xOhxSoxScandalousx
Humans are much more important than animals. My kids come wayyyy before a pet does. Sure I love pets but not as much as I love my daughter.
05/08/2012
Contributor: Sex Positivity Sex Positivity
My service dog comes before everything in my life, but I don't have kids.
05/08/2012
Contributor: KyotoAngel KyotoAngel
Right now I'd say I love my pets much like I would a child, but I don't feel I could fairly say that since I haven't had any children yet.
I suppose it might change for me if I ever have a real child but I sort of doubt it, I think I'll always love our pets like they're people. Naturally any real children will be loved a fair bit more though.
05/08/2012
Contributor: Alx Alx
I don't wish to have any children, so my pets are basically my "babies" and I love them SO MUCH. I highly dislike human children though. Ugh...
05/08/2012
Contributor: Femme Mystique Femme Mystique
I love my pets, but I definitely love my son more.
05/08/2012