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I don’t think this is something that is only happening in Japan. There are a lot of people where I live who are choosing to have dogs and cats, because it isn’t quite as time consuming and will only last a decade or so rather than a lifetime. I think it is actually the perfect solution to many who don’t want their own child but would still like something to love, and maybe it is an action that more people should be taking.
I am getting either cats or dogs – I am undecided – but I think that, if you’re me who’s scared of having children, animals are the perfect compromise. It’s not a life long commitment, they wouldn’t take up as much of your time and certainly wouldn’t cost as much money as a child, so yes, I can certainly see where they’re coming from. But it’s definitely not only happening in Japan!
If it was my choice I would go for dogs, because I think that you can really get to be the centre of their world, and get a bond almost like it would be if you had a child. I have had to think about my future plans very carefully, and I definitely have some fluffy love planned! It is a sensible decision, as everybody needs somebody (or something) to love and care for!
That’s actually perfectly true, and I have a couple of friends who say that they love their dogs just as much as they love their children (although I’m fairly confident that if they were ever made to choose between the two, they would choose their children). I do worry about what would happen when they died though, but that’s just my pessimistic side coming out before I’ve even got the animal!
There are so many ways to enjoy life and it is entirely up to each individual how they wish to go about it. There is no and never will be a one size fits all model, as we are are all different.