On TikTok<\/a>, Sarah Morris shares her life with her fiance and their two cats, Sundae and Banana. She balances a 9-to-5 job as a flight attendant with brand partnerships online, but says even that leaves little financial flexibility.<\/p>\n“It was simple math right now. I’m already stretched thin, so adding that child, adding that burden, is a barrier for me,” Morris said. “When people feel secure, they make long-term plans. When (in) times of instability, they have to adapt, and adapting for us right now looks like shifting what the meaning of family looks like.”<\/p>\n
The cost comparison: Kids vs. Pets<\/h3>\n
The financial gap between raising children and caring for pets is significant.<\/p>\n
A 2022 Brookings Institution study found it costs about $300,000 to raise a child in the U.S. from birth through age 17 \u2014 covering housing, food, clothing, and education. By comparison, pet expenses average roughly $27,000 over 18 years.<\/p>\n
Janie Budnick, founder and president of 4-Legged Kids \u2014 a St. Louis-staffed in-home pet care service \u2014 has witnessed the shift firsthand over the past three decades.<\/p>\n
“I have four cats and I have four kids, and which one do you think is easier to take care of?” Budnick said, with a smile.<\/p>\n
She says pets today are increasingly treated like children.<\/p>\n
“If you do some of the comparison between what a healthy pet, what the expenses are during a year versus a healthy child, I mean, you can be 10 times-plus,” she explained.<\/p>\n
Still, Budnick urges thoughtful reflection before making a decision about parenthood.<\/p>\n
“If anyone has a hesitation about having a human child, please do not,” she stated. “So I mean, you have to really be confident in yourself that that’s the path that you want to take to bring a human into this world.”<\/p>\n
A global trend<\/h2>\n
This shift isn’t limited to the United States: In China, more people are also choosing pets over children, citing rising costs of living and evolving views on marriage and family life.<\/p>\n
For many, the definition of family is expanding \u2014 and for now, that includes wagging tails, purring companions and plenty of love.<\/p>\n
As McGregor put it simply, “They’re my family, they’re my children.”<\/p>\n
More from Ready Pet GO!<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n