Some people draw definitive lines between their pets and family members. The purpose of this exercise is to differentiate the status of people from pets. Naturally, people who do this expect humans to take a higher precedence.
You will be surprised to find that some people don't think like this at all and their pets are every bit like their family members. This is exactly the case for me and I consider my kitties to be equals with the rest of my family.
Many people have stronger bonds with their pets than they would like to admit. For men, it sometimes comes across as being less masculine when caring for pets. For women, it comes across as being "the crazy cat lady" and so on. Labels aside, it doesn't really matter what other people think. What matters is what you think.
Cats and Pets in general will be with you for a significant time of your life, often longer than some relationships. It is no wonder that some people say those who are animal lovers tend to be better romantic partners.
Here are some interesting facts from a national survey taken quite some time ago which might surprise you about pet owners.
69% of cat owners spend about 45 minutes to more than an hour each day engaging with their cats.
60% of cat owners say they give their cats as much attention as they do to their children.
57% said that their cat family members sleep with them.
76% of the respondents said they felt guilty for not spending enough time with their pets.
54% of them said they were emotionally dependent on their pets.
46% of cat owners say they give their cat's human names.
After seeing these figures, wouldn't you say cats are considered more as family members than pets?