Americans are increasingly crazy about their pets. I don’t say this in a negative way—I count myself among the crazies. My old Golden Retriever Wally felt like the center of my universe during my years with him. Most American pet owners view their pet as part of the family "as much as a human member," according to the Pew Research Center. For all the brouhaha over "childless cat ladies" in the last election, there is some evidence that suggests Millennial women without kids outright prefer the company of their pets to children.