Rural folk less likely to think of pets as children; we thought we knew that, but research confirms

Rural and urban perspectives often differ. One such area is pets, and research confirms what some of us have thought for a long time, that "People who regard pets as children tend to have a city background, for example, while those in rural areas have a more practical attitude," Robert Preidt of HealthDay reports for USA Today. The research at Indiana University South Bend was presented Sunday in Atlanta at the American Sociological Association's annual meeting.

"To think of pets as just another animal is not uncommon in rural areas, which makes sense given the utilitarian relationships people in rural areas are more likely to have with a range of different animals — from farm to wild animals," David Blouin, lead author and IUSB assistant professor of sociology, said in an ASA news release. Regardless of location, though, pet owners are less likely to think of their animals as children after they have actually children of their own, the study found. (Read more)