As anthropologist Shelly Volsche stated in a study, interest in pets has increased in recent years. With the increasing interest, the way we love animals seems to have evolved as well; because the following statements we often see on online platforms and pet adoption pages, such as “I am his mother”, “I am his father”, “I would love to have my own child so much”, “Son”, “Daughter”.
When these concepts, which are used to describe human relationships, are also used to describe people’s relationships with pets, misunderstandings may arise in online platforms.
An example of those misunderstandings:
With the resulting misunderstandings There seems to be an audience that takes this situation to a higher level and really sees it as their own child. There are different theories in different media about why humans form such a close bond with animals. Some of these theories are:
- Are animal cubs replacing human babies?
- Do humans satisfy their need to bond with animals?
- Does this behavior of humans change the nature of animals?
Are animal pups replacing human babies?
Scientists working on human and animal relations led to the discovery of a new field in science: Anthrozoology. Sarah Hrdy, an evolutionary anthropologist working in this field, stated in 2009 that taking care of the offspring of creatures that are not of her own kind is a uniquely human trait, and added that this is known among anthropologists and biologists as alloparenting.
According to this understanding, people may be replacing their offspring with the offspring of animals at this age. Because taking care of a pet takes less time, cost and effort than raising a child. However, it can also be a new way to meet people’s emotional needs (love, attention, bonding, etc.).
Do humans satisfy their need for bonding with animals?
According to Psychologist John Bowbly, one of the founders of attachment theory, a person establishes his first secure attachment with a caregiver, often with his mother. This continues until the age of 2. While this bond is established with friends in adolescence, it evolves into romantic relationships in adulthood. Therefore, this need for bonding continues. According to the people who voiced this theory, people may have turned to animals, which are creatures that cannot betray themselves, because they have a trust problem with each other and do not want to bond with each other.
Also, because animals are creatures we can control, they may also be easing our fear of the future: Pets don’t change as they age, and they provide the consistency we want. Every day when we come home, they are happy to see us, they expect our attention, they are ready to give us love. They can continue to love us even after we die. Just like Hachi, who waits at the same time at the subway station where his owner waits for him every evening for 15 years after his death. In the movie Hachi: A Dog’s Tale (Hachiko: A Dog’s Tale), Hachi walks with his owner to the subway station every morning, and in the evening they come back to the subway station at the time of his arrival, wait for him, and return to their home together. It will continue to do so when its owner dies, as well as until it dies.
Could this behavior of humans be changing the nature of animals?
According to this theory, we love animals because they are not human. We project onto them what we want to see in ourselves and others. We may not want them to be truly animals—wild, natural—and we may want them to be human like us, but more static and predictable.
We may even have given them a bath, bought clothes, and opened our own home for them. Maybe we are trying to overcome our fear of loneliness with them.
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