Kids feel closer to pets than their siblings

Kids get more satisfaction from relationships with their household pets than with their brothers or sisters, new research suggests.

"Anyone who has loved a childhood pet knows that we turn to them for companionship and disclosure, just like relationships between people," said lead researcher Matt Cassells from University of Cambridge.

"We wanted to know how strong these relationships are with pets relative to other close family ties. Ultimately this may enable us to understand how animals contribute to healthy child development," Cassells said.

"Even though pets may not fully understand or respond verbally, the level of disclosure to pets was no less than to siblings," Cassels said.

"The fact that pets cannot understand or talk back may even be a benefit as it means they are completely non-judgmental," Cassels noted.

The research was published in the Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology.