# Poll: Is raising pets an acceptable alternative to raising kids? (take two) **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 17, 2022, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-is-raising-pets-an-acceptable-alternative-to-raising-kids-take-two/957949 "2022-01-17T20:47:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 1\ **Showing post:** 66
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2022, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-is-raising-pets-an-acceptable-alternative-to-raising-kids-take-two/957949/66 "2022-01-18T22:32:29Z")
> [@Max\_S](#): > > I did that on purpose. I wanted to capture people who have felt the desire to care for something new, and also specifically people who might not really desire children, but feel they have a duty to have children. > > ~Max But those two categories are so DIFFERENT. I understand that you want to conflate them. What i don’t understand is WHY you want to conflate them. Also, i can imagine someone who really wants to nurture something, but doesn’t want a child, getting a pet to satisfy their desire to nurture. (Not choosing to get a pet instead of a child, but feeling a lack, after choosing not to have a child, and turning to a puppy to help satisfy their nurturing desires.) But i really can’t imagine someone feeling a duty to have children and thinking they can discharge that duty by having pets. Not even if they can’t have children for some excellent reason, like being sterile and having major medical issues that render them unable to care for children. No one sane is going to think having a pet discharges their obligation to rear a child. --- _[View the full topic](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-is-raising-pets-an-acceptable-alternative-to-raising-kids-take-two/957949)._