Will pet-parenting take over from actual parenting... in the future?

On September 30, I visited the Megah Rise mall and pondered the potential future of pet parenting overshadowing traditional parenting. Observing pet owners at the mall, I couldn't help but notice their apparent happiness compared to those without pets. The term "pet parenting" has certainly caught my attention, and it's fascinating to witness the level of devotion some individuals show towards their Toy Poodles and Maltese dogs.

Seeing puppies in baby prams initially left me both amazed and perplexed. It's one thing to treat our pet dogs like human children, but quite another to witness animals behaving better than kids. This raises questions about whether in the future, society may need to cater more to pets than to children. The author proposes that pets might gradually replace children as more couples choose pet parenting over having biological children.

Multiple factors contribute to this trend. Some couples opt for Golden Retrievers over children due to the minimal demands of pet ownership, such as providing food and regular walks. Unlike children, pets don't need to attend university, engage in sibling rivalries, or inherit financial anxieties from their owners. Additionally, pets don't cause family discord or require parental guidance during significant cultural events like Chinese New Year.

Even the language we use reflects our growing attachment to pets. While only a few Western individuals refer to themselves as "Mummy" and "Daddy" when addressing their pets, this phenomenon is now widespread globally. The unconditional love and enthusiasm displayed by pets, especially Maltese dogs, can be overwhelming. Furthermore, the loss of a pet can be a deeply painful experience, as evidenced by the movie "Notes on a Scandal," where Judi Dench's character copes with the death of her cat, while Cate Blanchett remains unaffected by the loss of her human companion.

With falling fertility rates, the increasing number of condominiums, greater emphasis on careers, and rising domestic issues, it's plausible that pets may begin to fill the role of children in more literal terms. The next time I encounter a Pomeranian in a pram at Megah Rise, I won't merely consider it cute; I'll ponder if this represents the future arriving on four legs.