Must be something wrong with me, when My 23 year old cat died I was a mess for a week.

Timer was "loved by me" and as he aged and became oldtimer I loved him more.

I can see your point, but when my Dog died, it took me a long time to get over it.  Same with my Wife's cat.  There is always vacation time that can be taken.  I did not even have a day.  I put down my dog on a Sunday morning, and was on the road to teach a class in the western part of the state in the afternoon.

Im thinking you've never owned a dog, SushiK, or you wouldnt have asked this question. You'd KNOW how much they add to one's life.

I grew up on a farm!
Maybe I am blind now that I have kids, but I can;t see going to pieces over a dog or a cat.
I was sad whenever a cat or dog died and even did all the burials.

My went to pieces when our family dog of 20 years had to be put down. He was married at the time and cried for days, moping around, performing a ceremony with music and whatnot until my dad knocked some sense back into him by saying "What are you going to when a real family member dies? Pull yourself together man!"

Yes, they are loved ones. I had to give up a dog the year before last and I cried for an entire weekend. Now...I think I may have found her spiritual brother and I'm asking everyone to pray that he'll come to live with me.

I'd go to pieces if anything ever happened to my Henry, and I think I've fallen for this other dog already...

For many of us, our pets are more lasting than many of our human relationships. A dog or a cat (if properly treated and raised) loves you unconditionally. They don't care if you look like crap in the morning, or weigh 700lbs. They don't care that you got fired from your job, or that you drive a clunker of a car. They stick with you through times most humans wouldn't, and if you live far away from real family, they can be the only loving connection you have on a weekly, monthly or even yearly basis.

My parent's cat is now almost 16 years old. He's getting up there in age and he's slowing down. He's healthy so he probably still has a few years left in him, but it will still be devastating when he does finally pass on. That cat was a constant fixture in my life from the time I was 7 until I moved away from home a year ago (a year ago this week). He really was *my* cat as when I left to live in the dorms for college 5 years ago he slept under my now empty desk in my bedroom for weeks and would only come out for food and water. Whenever I come home he's all over me, purring and chatting. The only reason I didn't take him with me when I moved was his age and how I know he wouldn't have been able to adjust to such a drastic change anymore.

One of the first things I did after getting settled in here in CT was get myself a kitten of my own. This cat is an absolute delight as she's playful, extremely friendly and loving. She has already become a key part of my day to day life, much like a family member would. To some of us, they're actually an essential component to our own mental wellbeing and health.

Never underestimate the importance and value of a pet. It's the sort of thing only someone without one would do.

I don't even want to think about the day that my family will have to say goodbye to our dog. Just thinking about it brings tears to our eyes... all of us. It will be a sad day for sure. Yep. Definitely a loved one.

I was really sad when my dog died, but nowhere near as bad as when my brother died in 2002(he was 12 and a constant in my life) I still have a hard time dealing with the lose. My entire family is a constant, always there, all holidays, and almost every day. Our animals are always there also, and we do tend to have to take a day off to recompose, but it's a vacation day, or personal day, and not more than a day.

Wow I am getting the feeling I am a shallow cad here.
Growing up we had a total of
15 or so cats
2 dogs
12 Geese
40 Chickens
Rabbits
Gerbils
more,
more

They were always my friends growing up. I knew each animals name that we had given it. Spent more time than my other family members with the animals. I was usually the one to bury them when they had died from old age (There was no slaughtering on the farm just freh eggs and fun).
I would bury each one in a marked grave in the back field, with always a moment saying goodbye to an old friend.

Maybe I'm just not the go to pieces kind of guy, maybe i've put so many in the ground that i transition through it faster, so I am sorry if i seem harsh on people who do feel more when pets pass.

Wow I am getting the feeling I am a shallow cad here. Growing up we had a total of

But were they inside or outside pets?  Inside pets are really always there, while outside pets are there when you want them to be.  That could be the difference.