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A reader writes: In my opinion there are just too many people around the world who love their pets more than they love people. Do you have any more detailed information\articles outlining signs of unhealthy relationships with pets? Or maybe you can point me in the right direction.
My response: I'm not sure what is behind your concern about this issue, but I will offer you what I can.
The attachment we feel with our pets varies widely among individuals, depending on the function the animals have in our lives, the personal needs they fill in us and the strength of the emotional bonds we have with them. To illustrate: a farmer's cat whose job is to keep the barn free of rats and mice may be regarded differently from the beloved house cat who provides an elderly woman who lives alone with her only source of unconditional love and companionship.
Is it possible, however, to become too emotionally attached to a pet? Whether the relationship with a pet is unhealthy or not depends on many variables. We know all too well that human relationships can be difficult to form and maintain. Human beings can be moody, irritating and argumentative, and gaining the affection of another person requires a great deal of patience, understanding, effort and sacrifice. And no matter how much we love one another, people can and do leave us. Friends move away, couples separate, spouses divorce, children grow up and families scatter all over the country.
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