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ContrarianAgrarian | 5 days ago (raw) | export | reply | flag +2 
 I used to think single people who talked about their “fur babies” were being silly and fun. Call me crazy but I’m now inclined to believe this is a majorly detrimental neuroticism and not as innocent as I once believed. Most Men and women should be rising to the historical challenge and celebrating their raising of the next generation of humans
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BitcoinBelle | 5 days ago (raw) | root | parent | reply | flag +1 
 People can’t do both?
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ContrarianAgrarian | 5 days ago (raw) | root | parent | reply | flag +2 
 They can if they want. It’s just that I’m seeing a lot people being sad as they age that they haven’t built families
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ContrarianAgrarian | 5 days ago (raw) | root | parent | reply | flag 
 Everyone is different and should make their own choices, but I fear that many people are making short term choices over long term based on misguided assumptions
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BitcoinBelle | 5 days ago (raw) | root | parent | reply | flag 
 Facts!! I totally understand where you’re coming from.
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6176addf | 5 days ago (raw) | root | parent | reply | flag 
 No regular contact to children makes humans not being interested in having children.
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ContrarianAgrarian | 5 days ago (raw) | root | parent | reply | flag 
 Interesting insight!
Children are wild and chaotic and wonderful… young people need to find healthy ways to be around children
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bitbuybyte | 5 days ago (raw) | root | parent | reply | flag 
 Agreed. Pets should not be humanized in this way. I see it as Fabian/Humanist Psyop
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bitbuybyte | 5 days ago (raw) | root | parent | reply | flag 
 I have two dogs, which I love. They are not my “fur babies.”
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Low Information Voter | 5 days ago (raw) | root | parent | reply | flag 
 How many people who have "fur babies" and not children would have had children if they DIDN'T have pets?

(Serious question, not rhetorical.)

Financial insecurity, cultivated (and socially-expected) neuroticism and simple lack of familiarity play roles in childlessness. Is there an independent influence of pet ownership, or is it merely a mediating variable?


Personally, I found pet ownership to be an "easy-mode" intro to family responsibilities.

Me (in my 20s, Sunday morning): "Aww man, its so bright! Was out 'till 4am, going to cover my face and sleep some more..."

Guineapigs: "Squeak!"

Me: "Oh no..."

Guineapigs: "Squeak! Squeak!" ("Breakfast! Breakfast!")

Me: "Please, girls, let me sleep in a couple of hours..."

Guineapigs: "Squeak, squeak, squeak, squeak!"


I notice friends who never had pets and went straight into parenthood get very frustrated with this sort of thing. Anecdotes are not data, of course.

Does anyone know of any studies relevant to this? nostr:nprofile1qqs06gywary09qmcp2249ztwfq3ue8wxhl2yyp3c39thzp55plvj0sgprdmhxue69uhhg6r9vehhyetnwshxummnw3erztnrdakj7qguwaehxw309a6xsetrd96xzer9dshxummnw3erztnrdakj7qgmwaehxw309amksetpwshxsctswpuhgctkv4exutnrduhsw0qlr4 ?