Animals in the Empty Nest: Recomposition of Family Roles

The children fulfill various roles for parents, and their departure partially disrupts parental roles and identities. Animals can fulfill several of these roles. Humans often treat pets as if they were family members, seeking emotional support from them and viewing them as their “fur babies”. In this chapter, we explore how households without adult children are influenced by the presence of non-human actors, such as dogs and cats. Specifically, we investigate how pets can serve as functional equivalents of children for adults. We conducted an analysis of accounts provided by French (15) and Polish (28) parents whose children have moved out and who have pets at home. Our findings demonstrate that the role of the animal varies depending on the parental or couple “gaps”. The animal helps alleviate feelings of emptiness and serves as a conduit for parental emotions. Furthermore, pets regulate daily routines and serve as companions for various activities. Finally, animals can even become new objects of collaboration for couples.