Pets in the household: benefits of multispecies families in an aging society

Today, many modern families have chosen to include pets in the household. In many cases, these friendly animals occupy a filial place, and in others they are companionable friends for family members.

This trend of pets in the household is on the rise, and terms such as ‘doggie-children’ or ‘cathchildren’ reflect the growing recognition of animals as more than just companions.

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According to figures from the National Administrative Department of Statistics (DANE), in 2021 in Colombia 7 out of 10 people considered their pets as an essential part of their nuclear family.

In 2021, DANE estimated that 40.2% of households in Bogota had at least one pet. Within this group, 65.8% of households had dogs, while 43.7% preferred cats as companions.

These data highlight the growing relevance of pets in the lives of modern families, a trend that is constantly increasing. Over the years, more people have opted not to have children and find in animals an alternative to avoid the feeling of loneliness in their homes and give color to their lives.

Pets in the household, the furry members of families

The trend of humanizing pets is growing. This behavior has reached a point where significant changes are being seen in the composition of households around the world.

A prime example is found in countries such as Spain, where the number of dogs and cats outnumbers the child population.

In 2022, Spain had a population of 6.6 million people aged 0 to 14 years, according to data from the National Statistics Institute (INE), while the number of registered pets reached 15 million.

Colombia is no stranger to this phenomenon. According to figures provided by the Federación Nacional de Comerciantes (Fenalco), approximately 43% of households in the country have at least one pet. In addition, Raddar Consumer Knowledge Group estimates that there are at least 5 million pets in Colombia.

This reality suggests the growing affection and commitment that people have towards their animals, as evidenced by the care and spending on these furry companions through the supply of luxury pet clothing and accessories, and even the existence of gourmet food options intended exclusively for them.

A survey conducted by Kantar Ibope Media found that 28% of pet owners in Colombia spend, on average, between $190,000 and $374,000 a month on their animals, and 17% said they invest between $560,000 and $745,000.

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Multispecies households: Pets as children?

In recent times, the term “multi-species families” has gained popularity. This concept covers various fields such as legal and social and refers to households that include pets as full members of the family.

This may be the example of Spain, where since a year ago pets have acquired a different legal status than tangible assets.

The new law 17/2021 considers them as “living beings endowed with sentience”, instead of mere possessions, thus granting them a consideration of family members.

With this legal change, pets now enjoy special protection and valuation, recognizing their emotional nature and their relevance in the lives of the people who take them into their homes.

In Colombia, the situation is different. Three years ago, due to a woman who requested a conciliation hearing to decide on the custody of her pet, an attempt was made to implement the concept of “multi-species home” in legal terms.

However, the Supreme Court upheld the concept of considering dogs as attachable and rejected the emerging category of “multi-species family”. In other words, pets were not recognized as sentient beings, but continued to be treated as attachable property.

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The composition of Colombian households changes

In 2022, DANE data revealed that there were 569,311 births in Colombia. This is the largest decrease in the birth rate since 2013, when it was 658,835. Although preliminary, this figure is significant and shows a worrying trend of declining births in the country.

Universidad del Rosario, in collaboration with Cifras y Conceptos, developed a research that revealed that Colombians between 18 and 32 years old show a preference for having pets instead of becoming parents.

The study found that the inclination to have pets at home, instead of children, may be influenced by reasons such as the increased costs of raising them, the time required, job insecurity and instability, and the emotional satisfaction that caring for an animal provides.

On the other hand, this phenomenon is driven by several factors, such as women’s increasing access to education and employment, as well as the greater availability of contraceptive methods, which allows families to make informed decisions and choose to have fewer children if they wish to do so.

Several countries, such as Switzerland and Singapore, have implemented policies to address the lower number of births, such as extending paternity leave, increasing pay during maternity leave, providing free childcare and various financial incentives.

However, despite all the efforts, the world has not yet found a clear and definitive solution to address this situation. While Switzerland has seen a significant increase in its fertility rate from 1.4 children per woman in 2019 to 1.9 children per woman in 2020, in Singapore the results have not been as expected.

There, policies have been in place for more than 12 years to encourage citizens to have more children, including investing an average sum of $1.3 million in promotional activities per year. Despite this, Singapore’s national population division found that the birth rate currently stands at just 1.2 children per woman, and last exceeded 2 in 1976.

Low birth rates are a cause for concern in countries because of the consequences it can have on economic and social development. A low birth rate implies a decrease in the future availability of labor, which can negatively affect key sectors of the economy, such as production, industry and services. It also raises difficult questions about the sustainability of social security systems.

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