“Felix is my brother”: U.S. children’s perspectives on companion animals in multispecies families

An increasing number of children in the United States are growing up in multispecies families, where humans and companion animals form close bonds and share daily life. A burgeoning body of work highlights the significant role of animals in shaping developmental outcomes across a wide range of domains. Few studies examine how children in multispecies families perceive and construct their relationships in the context of growing cultural sentimentalization of pets. Using narrative and visual methods, we explored children’s perspectives on their relationships with their companion animals. We recruited 24 parent-child dyads in the United States (children aged 3-7 years). We interviewed parents, asked children to draw and describe their favorite memories with their pets, and interviewed children about their relationships with companion animals. Using narrative and mapping procedures, our analyses revealed three themes: children constructed companion animals as family members, integrated them into daily activities, and attributed subjectivity to them. Our findings highlight how children navigate complex relationships with animals, providing implications for child development, empathy, and the human-animal bond within multispecies families. Supplementary Material File (children and pets manuscript final.docx) - Download - 19.40 MB Information & Authors Information Version history Peer review timeline Published Anthrozoös Version of Record18 May 2026Published Copyright This work is licensed under a Non Exclusive No Reuse License.

Authors Metrics & Citations Metrics Article Usage 235views 93downloads Citations Download citation Michela C. Arlia, Sara Eder, Antonella Guadagnino, et al. “Felix is my brother”: U.S. children’s perspectives on companion animals in multispecies families. Authorea. 08 February 2025. DOI: https://doi.org/10.22541/au.173903901.18120826/v1 DOI: https://doi.org/10.22541/au.173903901.18120826/v1 If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download. For more information or tips please see 'Downloading to a citation manager' in the Help menu.