Instagram profiles dedicated exclusively to them. Nurseries where their owners leave them during the day like children in kindergarten and hotels where they stay when they go on vacation. Therapy and training for behavioral problems. Clothing for all kinds of mood, walking shoes and costumes. Many fantasies. Custom beds and furniture – sometimes whole rooms. Birthday parties with lean meat cakes, fashion haircuts and professional photographic rehearsals. These are some of the many examples that show that animals are playing an increasingly central role in human life and that their relationship is becoming less of pet owner and more parents and children. In fact, many young people are opting for them instead of having children.
“The other day I was walking on the street and I saw a couple with a baby cart. When we arrived at the traffic light, I enjoyed it and looked out. And I had a surprise. There was no baby, it was a puppy,” says Magdalena Vera Vionnet of Palermo, Buenos Aires.
“On the street you see more dog carts than baby. I swear, it’s ridiculous,” adds Mariana Kerestezachi.
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Although there are countries and cities where the tendency to have pets instead of children, and treat them as such is more common, such as: Tokyo, Japan; Milan, in Italy; and Los Angeles and Miami in the United States, we are talking about a global phenomenon with thousands of fans, especially among younger generations. The reasons behind it vary from the lack of commitment to love for individual freedom, economic stress and even social conscience.
“Multispecies families are becoming more common,” says Yulieth Cuadrado, a therapist specializing in neuropsychology. According to a Growth from Knowledge (GFK) survey, Argentina, along with Mexico and Brazil, is among the countries with the largest percentage of pets per family. In fact, according to a Kantar study, 79% of Argentine homes have pets and 77% consider them family members.
More freedom and less commitment, without giving up love
“Not long ago, personal fulfillment meant having a family with many children. Today, however, the ideas of happiness and well-being revolve much more around individual fulfillment, adapted to their own needs,” ponders Cuadrado. In this context, the alternative of having a dog, cat or pet is presented as a way of maintaining individuality without giving up the satisfaction of caring, creating and loving the other.
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“Animals don’t require as much attention as humans. Taking care of them is qualitatively simpler and allows a much more flexible life,” reflects psychologist Nicolas Andersson. He and his girlfriend make it very clear that they don’t want children because they don’t want their personal lives to be in the background. They have two French bulldogs, Odin and Floki, who “are like their children, but with less responsibility.”
“Love is the same, but we don’t have to change their diapers, wake up at seven in the morning to take them to school or sacrifice weekend plans as our friends with children do,” says Andersson. “The obligation to have children is not as established as it used to be, and today we have more power to choose,” he says.
In the same line, Lucía Bandol says she never liked the idea of being a mother; First because of childbirth and, second, for all the things it implies. “I always knew that I didn’t want to have children and always told me that at some point it would change. That I wouldn’t feel complete as a woman. But the years went by and every day I confirm more: I don’t want to,” she says. “I am not willing to put my body to the test for pregnancy, neither for motherhood, nor to stop working to dedicate myself to parenting.”
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Bandol has two cats, Magnum and Silvestre, and claims that it is not necessary to want to be a mother to want to receive love: this is where animals come into play: “We have an almost innate need to give and receive affection, besides our partner or ourselves,” he reflects.
Taking care and protecting are instinctive human skills, says Cuadrado, and giving and receiving love is a need with multiple benefits to personal well-being. The psychologist shares that, among the benefits her patients identify with having animals at home, one in particular stands out: “calm”.
“When we look at our pets in their eyes, we talk to them or caress them, our secret oxytocin brain, an essential neurotransmitter in various physiological and social functions, including the construction of emotional bonds, reducing cortisol levels and emotional regulation,” he says.
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According to a study published by the National Health Institutes (NIH), pets can reduce stress, improve heart health, help people with their emotional and social skills, and promote responsibility and commitment.
“I may have no animals, but they make me happy. They are empathic and are always there to bring us back to reality. I believe in their feelings and the ties they create with us, and this love, for me, is more than enough,” concludes Bandol.
The economic factor, in an uncertain world
Economic factors are another factor that leads many young people to prefer to have pets instead of children. This is the case of Ignacio Martínez Larrea. “Having children is expensive and making money is complicated,” he says. From their group of six friends, five share the same opinion.
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Respondents agree that the decision to have a child means to be able to cover basic financial security issues, such as being able to pay a house large enough (either by renting or buying a property), long -term education (college and possibly university), all the medical care needed for good health and recreational activities. “Although pets involve expenses, they are substantially lower,” concludes Martínez Larrea.
“I know people who had children before they can buy their own home and now, with everything they have to pay for their creation, it is impossible. It becomes a vicious cycle,” says Bandol. “It is difficult to think of achieving the financial stability necessary to support themselves, the more to support others. The economic factor is a very strong factor,” he concludes.
On the other hand, there is widespread pessimism about the future of the planet, which in many cases makes the idea of having a child seem more unconscious than a product of love.
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“Climate change is a reality. The time of the planet is running out and I can’t imagine giving birth to someone who will have to endure increasingly catastrophic events, such as water scarcity, sea level elevation, droughts and fires“ I know people who had children before they could buy their own home and now, with everything they have to pay for their creation, it is impossible. It becomes a vicious cycle, ”says Bandol.“ It’s hard to think about achieving the financial stability necessary to support themselves, the more to support others. The economic factor is a very strong factor, ”he concludes.
On the other hand, there is widespread pessimism about the future of the planet, which in many cases makes the idea of having a child seem more unconscious than a product of love.
“Climate change is a reality. The time of the planet is running out and I can’t imagine giving birth to someone who will have to endure increasingly catastrophic events, such as water scarcity, sea level elevation, droughts and fires,” Bandol argues.
“I don’t think it is worth bringing a child to the world, given the state in which it is today and as it seems to be. With the amount of suffering that exists, it is not reasonable to bring someone else to the world to suffer too,” adds Martínez Larrea.
