I only have one now, the lovely Cleo whom you see pictured nestled between my legs above; she is an incredibly important part of my life. I speak to her more than most humans and like her more than most humans. Maybe you'd need to have the same relationship with a pet to understand.

I completely understand, because I have the same relationsphip with my Harris's hawk. I literally sleep with her. We love each other so much. The love of an animal is unconditional, and an animal accept you, without judging you. This is rarely the case with humans.