Women’s Day 2026: Why Some Women Adopt Pets To Experience Motherhood, Expert Explains The Emotional Bond

At 3:30 in the morning, while most of the city is still asleep, Priyanka Aryamane is already awake. What stirs her is not an alarm clock or a baby’s cry, but the soft, musical meow of Pepper, the cat she adopted in 2017.

For Priyanka, bringing Pepper home was never simply about having a pet. She describes it as the moment a long quiet maternal instinct finally found its place.

Across India, stories like hers are becoming more common. For many urban women today, pet parenting has grown into something far more meaningful than companionship. It reflects a shift in how women define nurturing, responsibility and family. Choosing to raise a pet often requires financial planning, emotional commitment and the confidence to challenge social expectations. Yet for the women who make that choice, the rewards can reshape their lives in unexpected ways.

“Choosing to raise a pet isn’t just about having company. It’s about responsibility, emotional depth, and commitment,” says Priyanka Aryamane, a pet parent.

For some women, the decision happens suddenly. A stray animal refuses to leave their doorstep. A vulnerable puppy appears at a veterinary clinic. A moment arrives when instinct quietly overrules hesitation. Nirmiti Nerurkar, Head – Digital Marketing at Fredna Vet Diagnostics shares why women prefer adopting pet for experiencing motherhood

For others, the choice develops over time through a lifelong affection for animals. What connects their journeys is intention. Pet motherhood, they say, is rarely accidental.

Researchers often describe the human animal connection as a bio psychosocial bond. Caring for animals can stimulate the release of oxytocin, a hormone associated with emotional bonding and stress regulation. Psychologists also refer to the concept of alloparenting, the instinct to nurture another living being regardless of species.

For many women, pet parenting becomes an expression of nurturing that is chosen rather than expected.
The path, however, is not always simple.

Several women recall facing resistance from housing societies, landlords, or even family members who struggled to understand why an animal should be treated as part of the family.

“Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t balance it. If it matters to you, you make it work.”
— Sophiya Thiyam

Balancing work, personal responsibilities and pet care requires discipline. Many women speak about reshaping their routines around feeding schedules, vet appointments and daily walks. Travel plans often revolve around their pets’ comfort. Budgets shift to accommodate medical care and nutrition.

Life gradually becomes structured around another living being. Yet none of the women describe this responsibility as a burden.

For women navigating demanding careers, personal transitions or moments of loneliness, animals often provide companionship that is steady and uncomplicated.

Many also describe unexpected personal transformation. Some say they became more patient. Others found themselves becoming more organised, responsible and emotionally aware.

Over time, affection evolves into responsibility. The excitement of bringing a pet home gradually gives way to research about nutrition, veterinary care and preventive health. Increasingly, urban pet parents are approaching this role with seriousness and long-term planning.

Freossi, a veterinary forward pet wellness company, has observed this shift closely. According to the brand, modern pet moms tend to be informed and proactive decision makers. Many actively seek veterinary guidance, read labels carefully and focus on preventive health rather than waiting for illness to occur. This evolution toward informed and responsible pet parenting reflects a broader cultural shift in India’s growing companion animal ecosystem.

Beyond their personal journeys, these women hope to see wider acceptance of pet parenting. They speak about the need for more pet friendly housing, greater awareness around responsible adoption, and public spaces that welcome animals and their caregivers.

Pet motherhood, their stories suggest, is not simply about loving animals. It is about commitment, patience and the courage to stand by a deep personal choice.

This Women’s Day, their experiences offer a quiet reminder that empowerment does not always arrive through dramatic milestones. Often it appears in the rhythm of everyday care. An early morning walk. A scheduled vet visit. A promise kept. Sometimes empowerment looks like choosing love and honouring it every single day.

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