My experience is strictly personal. I've owned pets all of my life and Taken care of many that weren't even my own but strays that wander in from time to time. I treat each one unique as they all have their own personalities. I have no kids so I like to spoil fur babies. I currently have 4 cats of which I have raised from the second day they were born (strays at the time), their mother had gotten hit by a car and I couldn't let them parish.. I tried to adopt them out but fell in love with them and now they are family. I take care of the neighborhood animals that wander to my door as well. They are living breathing gifts of God. Sadly my Dog passed in 2009 of Doggy Dementia. She was 16.