Children's Attachment to Their Pets

Links to Socio-Emotional Development

Abstract

Using a multi-dimensional, multi-measure approach, this study examined children's attachment to their pets and related three dimensions of such attachment - behavioral, affective and cognitive - to empathy and perceived competence. Child characteristics (age, sex), family characteristics (marital status, socioeconomic status, maternal employment and family size) and pet type (dog, cat) as influences on attachment to pets also were explored. Individual interviews were conducted with 120 children from kindergarten, second- and fifth-grades, and questionnaire responses were collected from one parent of each child. Pet attachment was higher for older children and those whose mothers were employed. Pet attachment related differently to empathy and perceived competence depending upon grade level.