Don’t get us started! There are so many reasons why pets prevail over children – to start with, many of us simply prefer the company of animals. While raising a child is a deeply fulfilling experience for many, there’s an undeniable ease and joy that comes with having a pet as part of the family.
Pets offer unconditional companionship, boundless love, and fewer emotional complications than kids, and they can fit into a variety of lifestyles with little fuss. From a practical standpoint, pets often come with fewer long-term commitments, less financial strain, and a lower level of responsibility, making them an appealing choice for those who are hesitant about parenthood.
But it’s not just about ease or convenience – for many people pets are simply the better choice for those seeking companionship but retaining a carefree lifestyle. Pets don’t need anything like as much babysitting, they don’t talk back (although a sassy and noisy cat breed may pretend to), and they don’t require the immense amount of schooling or emotional support that children do.
Let’s take a look at 32 reasons why choosing a pet over children might just be the best decision you ever make. For some, the purrs, barks, and squeaks can bring more joy than you ever imagined.
32 reasons to have a pet rather than children
1. No teenage attitude
The teenage stage in us humans is not one typically relished by parents. A pet, conversely, seems to breeze through its adolescence. No slamming doors, inability to wake up before noon or go to sleep before 3am. Nor do they suffer from acne or need teaching how to shave.
2. Minimal education fees
Depending on what education system and country you’re based in, schooling fees obviously vary hugely, but it’s likely that parents at some stage will end up shelling out significantly for their child’s academic progress, whether it’s school or university. Tutoring is another outlay if that progress is not going as hoped.
Pets, on the other hand, can go their whole life without a single paid lesson and be none the poorer for it. Of course, you can pay for training – but it’s also a brilliant bonding experience to teach them yourself.
3. More sleep
“Are they sleeping through?” is probably the most commonly asked question in the first year of your child’s life. And in many cases, this may carry on well into their childhood. Sure, you might need to wake up early when a puppy is very young, but it would be an anomaly if a dog is still waking you up during the night at three months!
And with kids, when they reach adolescence and have no problem staying in bed, you lose sleep worrying about them!
4. Easy walkers
Have you ever marveled at a foal who, moments after being delivered, will try scrabbling to its hooves, and within half an hour will be pottering about on its gangly legs? All animals – from tiny hamsters to giraffes – seem fabulously mobile, walking much sooner than humans do. We typically take nearly a year to get vertical.
The reason is because our brains develop in a different way to other mammals – we’re more complex and are learning more skills, which makes developing the capacity to walk take a long time.
5. No temper tantrums
One of the most dreaded occasions – and it happens to nearly all parents at some stage – is a public temper tantrum. Our pets never ever would let us down in this way! They don’t scream, shout, tell us they hate us, stomp their feet, go red in the face, and lie on the floor kicking and screaming – just because we said no to the lollipop in the supermarket.
6. No career path worries
Helping a child decide what they want to be in life is quite a responsibility. A pet’s path is already set – to be the best pet they can be, and for us to have the best relationship we can with them to provide for their needs. Simple yet important goals.
7. Less drama
There are many cat owners who would admit they own a drama queen, especially if you have one of the more high-maintenance cat breeds, but as a general rule, pets are much more stoic than humans.
They don’t make a mountain out of a molehill, get over-emotional, and generally seem content if their needs are provided for. Perhaps it’s that they can’t laugh or cry (at least, not that we know of), which gives them a more sanguine outlook.
8. No asking for cash
Sometimes being a parent can feel much like being a living cash machine. A pet has no concept of money and whether it’s a useful thing to have or not. They don’t need cash for frivolous expenditures, and they don’t compare themselves to fellow pets to see who’s got more.
9. Minimal babysitting
While there rarely are enforced rules about what age a child can be left home alone, the British children’s charity NSPCC recommends that children under the age of 12 are not mature enough to cope in an emergency and should not be left alone for a long period, while babies, toddlers, and very young children should never be left alone. This adds up to a lot of babysitting – or dragging your little child with you whenever you need to leave the house.
Happily, pets are much more independent, and although they should not be left home alone for too long, depending on the pet, you can get out and about, go to work, and have a friend pop in to check on them. It’s a lot less limiting.
10. Less stress
Our dear pets do cause us some stress, especially when something is wrong. However, there isn’t that long-term worry about what will happen to them in the future, whether they’re being bullied at school, if they’ll meet the right partner if they’re in a bad friendship group, and so on. Better still, it has been shown that there are many ways having a pet can lower stress levels.
11. Your unquestioned authority
There comes a stage in every child’s life when they realize that their mother or father is not always right. We want the best for our kids, but they can’t always see this and often need to forge their own path and make their own mistakes. Pets tend to trust that we have their best interests at heart and accept our authority if we set behavioral boundaries from the outset.
12. More freedom
The carefree life that couples have before kids all evaporates once there’s a baby in the household. Vacations, stay-aways, late-night dinner parties, and spontaneous adventures all have to be put on hold – or at least very carefully planned – while the children are young.
Perhaps for the first few weeks after a puppy arrives, you will have to modify your spontaneity a touch, but as a general rule, a pet has the smallest impact on your freedom compared to a new baby. In fact, they might encourage you to get out more!
13. No school plays!
Love ‘em or hate ‘em, the school play is a major event in your child’s calendar – and not on any pet’s agenda (unless called up to act a “sheep” in the nativity). Very few of us are going to be the parents of the main part, the prima ballerina, so for most of us, the school play is a case of trying to spot our little darling at the back of the chorus or praying they’ll remember their one stuttering line. But if you don’t go, they are sure to spot your absence. And you may even be forced to make costumes. It’s definitely a stress point.
14. Always pleased to see you
Sometimes our kids are pleased to see us, but other times definitely not. We cramp their style, embarrass them, and are often simply not required at that particular moment. Pets always seem delighted when we appear – whether it’s as the giver of food and walks or simply our company we’re not entirely sure...
15. Any gift will do – or none
Pets don’t care about presents – in fact, we’d go as far as saying giving them gifts is more for our benefit than theirs. But not only are birthday presents a done deal in most human households, it also needs to be a good one. Most animals are oblivious – although cats and dogs do quite enjoy playing with wrapping paper, whether or not a gift is within.
16. Minimal rebellion
Different species of pets can rebel to varying degrees, but the worst it gets will likely be a result of boredom or anxiety – such as a dog tearing up his bed, or indulging in destructive tendencies. Perhaps they won’t come back when called. But on the scale of human rebellion, a pet’s is so minor, and can often be sorted out with some rewards-based training. Always seek professional help if their rebellion is hard to handle.
17. No sulking
Pets – and demonstratively cats – can experience a range of emotions and may appear to sulk, typically when they’re not getting enough attention or you’ve scolded them. However, it’s not like a child’s sulk. As soon as you interact with the pet, all is forgotten. They don’t give you the “silent treatment” (in their non-verbal way) for days on end or require extensive negotiations to get back on track.
18. Portable pets
Children are not portable for very long. For many pets, you can simply pop into a carrier and take them wherever you want to go. Children may long to be carried, but due to their weight and neediness, their portability is more of a burden than an asset.
19. No cooking judgement
Picky eating is the bane of a parent’s life. We know we are supposed to feed good and healthy food to our kids, and yet they will go on hunger strike, spit food out, and refuse to try new flavors.
You spend hours trying out new recipes and have to waste all your ingredients and efforts when meals are completely rejected. Pets tend to eat what they are given and be delighted by whatever you provide, especially if you dish up some of the best dog food or the best cat food.
20. No guilt-trip
So often we say we wish our pets could talk, but there are definitely benefits to the fact that they don’t. They don’t twist our words to take us on a guilt trip when things aren’t going their way. This just isn’t part of their psyche, and if we think our pet is guilt-tripping us through their hang-dog eyes, we are merely attributing human emotions to them.
21. Your wardrobe is safe
It is fun to dress our pets up occasionally, such as in Christmas novelty jumpers or cold weather, but our own wardrobe is safe from their thieving. Well, almost. A dog or cat might nick our shoes and socks, but we won’t find them dressed in our expensive evening dresses or jackets, or pinching our warm overcoats like our kids inevitably do.
22. No intoxicants
One of the biggest concerns for parents is children getting involved in drink and drugs. We cannot prevent them from falling under bad influences, or control what they are offered at parties. This is simply not a worry for pet owners. Alcohol is one of the foods that dogs should never eat and can cause severe poisoning. Happily, it never needs to touch his lips.
23. No homework
Homework has a tremendous impact on family stress and the general tenor of the home, according to research. Kids often hate settling down to more work at the end of a busy school day, while parents are already frazzled by trying to juggle their own job, family, and home life.
Meanwhile, homework with your pet involves simply interacting, and boosting your mutual bond – maybe schools have a lot to learn from the animal kingdom.
24. Trend-free
Fashion trends are not only expensive to follow, but they can lead to children feeling isolated if they’re not keeping up or wearing the wrong garment. Some owners might choose to put their dog in booties or cozy sweaters, but your pet is oblivious to the changing fashions, and to whatever his peers are wearing.
25. No weddings
The average wedding in the US costs more than $35,000 in the US and over £20,000 in the UK. Given that many parents subsidize their kids’ weddings, this is a massive outlay. And if you do decide your pet needs a partner, all you’ll be paying is a stud fee if anything.
26. Puberty’s a breeze
The innocence of childhood can give way to some rocky years as a child hits puberty and the hormonal changes rock their brain. Some pets, puppies in particular, can go through a slightly unruly teenage phase, but it’s not going to involve acne, greasy hair and body dysmorphia along with all the other physical changes.
27. No need for a phone
Smartphones are ubiquitous among children and while there are benefits such as being able to contact parents easily, they cause plenty of aggro in the household due to the risks of being too engrossed, addicted, and getting drawn into dangerous activities. What pet has ever requested a phone or needed their screen time limited? The truth is, they’d probably much rather we didn’t have one either...
28. They know who they are
We humans need to work out who we are, what path in life we are taking, and who we want to be. It can be uncomfortable and even deeply concerning for the parent as their child tries to find their way. A pet never has this existential crisis. They are simply comfortable in their own skin.
29. No driving lessons
The learning-to-drive phase is daunting for both parents and kids and can quickly escalate into major arguments. It’s also yet another huge expense. Thank goodness pets don’t take to the wheel – either from the driving seat or the back seat.
30. No parent-teacher conferences
Parent-teacher conferences can be enjoyable – if you’ve got an Einstein of a child. But for most of us, we never quite escape the feeling that once back at school we are being told off. Yet another reason to have a pet rather than children. Who wants to go back to school?
31. No costume drama
Whether it’s for classmates’ birthday parties, school plays, or themed schooldays, parents will not manage to avoid providing multiple costumes for their dear darlings. What parent hasn’t found themselves spending an inordinate sum of cash on the latest Disney costume for their offspring’s best friend’s party? Whereas if you need to put your dog in fancy dress, it’s your fault, not theirs!
32. Unconditional love
Dare we say a kid’s love for their parents is somewhat conditional? Unlike dogs, they are not full of devotion and affection regardless of our behavior towards them. Initially, young children are dependent, but once they realize that we are fallible humans just like them, and they are able to fend for themselves without our input (unless required), kids tend to get a bit wily.
Meanwhile, they take over our lives, are extremely expensive, and (in a mother’s case) irreparably alter our bodies. With all this in mind, it’s plain to see just why many people choose pets rather than children!
