I must admit that this "logic" confounds me. I adore cats. Yet I recognize they are no substitute for people. You have to be mightily solipsistic to think a mute animal can somehow stand in for humans and their ability to, you know, be something other than a mere projection.https://twitter.com/PsychToday/status/1163239402958663686 …
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Replying to @GabeBlessing
Pets DO reduce feelings of loneliness & isolation. It doesn't suggest they're a replacement for humans! But many of us have no humans at home. I'm *really* good at being alone, but miss my recently-deceased cat. She was a companion mammal who appreciated me. Not a person
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Replying to @CherryAnnAustin
I might love cats more than people myself, but in a sense, the inevitable communication barrier might make me feel *more*, not less, isolated. Just thinking of the people who suggested I get a pet after a recent breakup. Yeah, that's not gonna help...
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Replying to @GabeBlessing
Lol, I don't love cats more than people! You're right to reject that advice; a pet isn't a substitute for a human that's left your life. Re-finding your solo self is the cure for that. But a pet's better than no companion in the long term, which is what the research shows.
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Replying to @CherryAnnAustin @GabeBlessing
A dog can make loneliness tolerable for as long as it lasts, but no one thinks they're a substitute for human companionship. Fellow feeling between canines and homo sapiens--which includes the important experience of touching and being touched--is better than desperation any day.
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Having had (and loved) both dogs and cats, there is no comparison in terms of the kind of bond you form. Dogs are wired for social interaction. Cats love the attention, but it's a whole different level with canines.
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Also, that Psych Today article was specifically about older people, who statistically are more likely to be single/live alone/be depressed than younger folk. It's one thing to tell a 25- (or even 40) -year-old to get out there and date/mingle. Quite another for a senior citizen.
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