Do you consider a pet to be on the same level as a child?

Question

So I'm a large animal vet and recently my practice has been short a small animal vet due to illness. I've been covering some of her patients. And I'm being reminded of all the reasons I never liked small animal medicine in school. Anyways, today I had a client that really treat her pets as children. Now I have no issue with that, but when this client started comparing her pet's health issues to her sister's child's cancer I just about lost it. It took all my professionalism to stay cool. This isn't the first time I've seen things like this either (one of the biggest reasons I'm working on specializing in large animal medicine/surgery). So I'm just wondering what other people think about a pet being on the same level as a human child?

I'm not talking about being a 'fur-parent' in the sense that you care about your pet a lot and love it. I'm referring to if you love your animal to the point to believe it is either the same as a child (as in if your friend's struggles with their child are the same as yours with your pet). Personally, I don't think a pet is the same as a child at all. I love animals and they're very important parts of people's lives and do deserve the best care possible. But I don't see a pet as the same as a child.

And sorry if CC is the wrong group- I'm just not sure if some people would consider this a controversy (and some people I've met really would consider it one).

Answer

Well the only way I could think through this is by thinking, okay I consider my pups my babies and in addition to my family. Obviously I love my daughter too. If I had to pick, id pick my daughter.
BUT
To someone who doesn't have children and DO consider their pets their babies, well when something happens it can be completely devastating and the only comparison they can make is to someone who is facing devastation with a child. 
An example, when my aunt, who can't have children, lost her dog after 11 years, she grieved as though she lost a family member. The grief and sorrow is comparable to the sorrow we felt when losing my brother, to her. 
It's all a matter of perspective, really.

Answer

Eeeeh this is hard for me. I have a pet and a child. We've had our cat almost 6 years and our son is 9 months old. If something were to happen to our cat, I would do anything in my power to give him medical treatment etc and would be extremely sad if he died, but I would eventually be all right. If something happened to my son, I don't know how I would go on living. If the house was on fire and I could only save one, I'd save my baby. I completely and totally love our cat, he's a part of our family and his life is very much valued, but he isn't my child. I mean he's my fur kid, it's not the same. The love I have for my baby is unmatched, no matter how much I care for our cat.

Answer

You can love your pets to the moon and back but pet parents and baby parents are two completely different things.

Answer

A puppy and a toddler are pretty much the same thing. You have to get a sitter for both of you want to leave them at home for a long period of time. You're constantly cleaning up bodily functions that aren't yours. They will get into things that make you question your own sanity. But then they're so happy to see you that you forget why you're upset with them in the first place.

Answer

I mentioned to my cousin I was rehoming my rabbit to somebody who can give him better attention since I've had him for so long before I even planned on ever having kids. I've been considering sending him to a reputable rabbit or wild life sanctuary for his final years. 
She lost it. Told me "he was your baby before your baby was your baby how can you let him DIE with some stranger?" 
(I don't think she was fully listening to me)  and then continued to tell me I need to "take care of my babies" and I was wrong and a bad person etc etc. literally yelling at me. 
Like 😑 I literally listened to someone tell me a rabbits life was just as important if not more important than my daughters.

Answer

No. They are 2different things....

Answer

I wouldn't ever compare my pet to my children.  I love my pets and do what I can to keep them healthy and safe, but if I had to pick it would ALWAYS be my children, hands down.  It irks me when I'll be speaking to someone about my kids and they'll go "I totally know how you feel! My dog does that too" etc.  No.

Answer

I have a 2 1/2 year old son, 23 weeks pregnant with our second, have a pittbull and two cats. Yes I love my animals, but my children are always before my animals no questions asked. Maybe the woman can't have children and her animals are the only way to fill that hole in her heart? I don't agree with comparing it to cancer in a child but that's her mindset I guess!

Answer

No
No.no.no. jc

Answer

Listen, I love my dog. I've known her longer than I've known my husband. And I will take care of her and make sure she has a good life for as long as she lives.

That being said, no, she's nowhere near what a child would be like. I don't have kids, so I understand that it's hard to say hypothetically what I would or wouldn't do. But as of now, I feel like the love I have for my pet won't even begin to compare to the love I'll have for my child.

If my dog gets sick, I'll be devasted. But comparing that to someone whose child has cancer? That's outrageous.

Do you consider a pet to be on the same level as a child?

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