Yes, I like animals more than people
“Why do you love cats and dogs more than us?”. My daughter asked me this question when she was very young, because she has always been very lively. Needless to say, I put on a bit of a show, indignant at her accusations. It was, is, and will be completely impossible for me to love animals more than my children.
But my daughter wasn't that far off because, in general, I like animals (a lot) more than people. I'm comfortable with them, I don't have to pretend, it's me and I don't have to try to please them. Animals and I like each other in a natural way, which comes out effortlessly.
One of the best moments of the day is when I see them jump on my bed while I brush my teeth, because they know we're going to sleep. One, two, three cats. One, two dogs. Yes, I sleep with my animals and I don't need anyone to tell me if they think it's okay or not. These are opinions that make me feel lazy and bored. People who get scandalized even annoy me a little, for being annoying.
My animals make me laugh when I go to the bathroom and they position themselves in front as if they were spectators of a play. They stare at me. I don't really know what they expect. When I finish, the six of us get up and leave. I'm never alone at home, I always have five furry beings who accompany me everywhere, silently, without being invasive. They are just there.
When I get home, they are the ones who come to greet me. Nora Ephron explained it perfectly: she adopted a dog when her daughter reached adolescence so that someone would be happy to see her.
If I watch a movie on the sofa, they all take their positions: one lying on the TV cabinet, just below the subtitles (at the limit); another, on the back of the sofa; one on each side; and the last one, who alternates our company with his desire to eat. And yes, we are among the people who remain indifferent when a person dies at the cinema and cry when a dog dies. I haven't decided to, it just comes out that way. But let no one worry about my empathy, because the reactions we have to fiction don't necessarily have to translate to reality.
I love spending the day in the company of my animals a thousand times more than with most people. I understand them better. They are attentive to the most important things in life and don't worry about trivialities like people do. I love them. And they love me.