Nothing can quite beat the pure joy of hangin' with your pet. So is it any wonder that (full disclosure here) we sometimes feel more attached to our animals than other humans?
And it looks like this might be particularly true for children, The Metro reports. In news that doesn't really surprise those of us who squabbled with our siblings, kids may actually get more satisfaction from their relationships with their pets than their brothers and sisters.
The study from Cambridge University published in the Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology found that not only do household animals have a positive impact on kids' social skills and emotional wellbeing, but children actually get more out of their relationship with their pets than previously thought.
The team looked at 12-year-olds from over 70 households with one or more pets of any species and more than one child at home. The kids were quizzed about their relationships, and reported having stronger bonds with their pets compared to their siblings.
Interestingly enough, those who lived with dogs were shown to have a particularly higher sense of life satisfaction than others.
"Even though pets may not fully understand or respond verbally, the level of disclosure to pets was no less than to siblings," study author Matt Cassells explained. "The fact that pets cannot understand or talk back may even be a benefit as it means they are completely non-judgmental."
Talk about a man's best friend.