According to a recent survey commissioned by Milo’s Kitchen pet treats, 81% regard their pets as full members of the family, 58% call themselves their pets’ “mommy” or “daddy”, 77% buy pets birthday gifts and more than half say they talk about pets more than any other subject!
Here’s what mental health professionals have to say about all this pet-loving goofiness: “What’s wrong with it?”
Most people recognize, whatever endearments they use or actions they might take, that their pets are not furry humans, however, emotionally healthy humans have the “need to nurture,” and pets are the perfect recipient.
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They return the favor of all the love, care and baby talk with their innate ability, proven in scientific studies, to reduce stress, speed healing, and improve humans’ fitness and social-interaction levels.
It must further be noted that people’s relationships with their pets generally have none of the “conflict” that probably exists in their relationships with other humans.
Who can’t use more of that sometimes?
Although many think treating pets as family is brand new, it’s actually centuries old.
RELATED: Do cats remember their late owner or old house?
Treating pets like family is “especially popular among empty nesters, singles and/or childless, and the homebound,” experts say.
Those groups are growing because we’re living longer, and also because so many people aren’t having children.
So we asked: what about our cat obsession disorder?
Psycologists say: “There’s nothing wrong with it.”
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