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Anyone who knows me , knows I love my fur kids Mr Barkley and Maui like they are my own children. But at no point do I think they are actually children. Personally, I think " fur kids " are better than "skin kids" but hey that's another story.

So I was a bit peeved with an article by Hannah Vanderheide in the SMH where she got defensive that her colleagues compared their pets with her children. READ MORE: Shelly Horton reveals how simply fashion choice shows a generational divide In it she said, "While travelling for work, a colleague noticed I was flat, and when I told him, 'Oh, I'm just missing my baby,' he looked me square in the face and said, 'I totally get it. I haven't been away from my dog this long before and I didn't realise how much I'd miss him.



'" She was shocked he would compare his dog to her child. I think it's time this comparison ends, and we all be a bit more empathetic to each other. First things first: I get it.

The responsibilities of pet ownership and parenthood are different beasts. There's no denying the vast differences in commitment, financial responsibility, and the lifetime journey of raising a human being compared to caring for a pet. But reducing the conversation to mere logistics misses the emotional depth of why many choose to view their pets as part of their family.

For a daily dose of 9Honey, subscribe to our newsletter here Many of us who dote over our fur kids with the same fervour as one might lavish on a child aren't under any illusion.

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