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This is a very interesting subject for me. People get pets to try to answer emotional needs that people won't or can't fill.

You nurture a pet...and get affection and loyalty in return!! What a great deal.

You can nurture children and get contempt and indifference for your efforts. You can devote yourself to a spouse, and only get the brunt of their neuroticism. All the investments we make in people are fraught with risk, we just don't know it. We expect a return, and often don't get it. And sometimes we get dumped by the spouse for someone younger and hotter, or have our children blow our heads off. (Thinking of Adam Lanza's mom...BTW, do we ever learn about her ex husband and Adam's dad?)

So maybe our young people are looking at the divorces, the childbearing disasters, the expense and the trouble--and the potential lack of reward at the end of it all, and adopt some pets who are happy to see you when you come home.