Re is a Española de Sociología (RES) / Spanish Jou nal o Sociology / doi: 10.22325/ es/ es.2025.252
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RES n.º 34 (1) (2025) a252. pp. 1-18. ISSN: 1578-2824
A icles / A ículos
A mul ispecies jou ney: companion animals and amily
de elopmen om a li e-cou se pe spec i e
Un iaje mul iespecie: animales de compañía y e olución
amilia desde una pe spec i a de ayec o ia i al
Ja ie López-Cepe o *
Pe sonali y, Assessmen & Psychological T ea men Depa men , Uni e sidad de Se illa, Se ille, Spain
[email protected]
Alicia Español
Expe imen al Psychology Depa men , Uni e sidad de Se illa, Se ille, Spain
[email protected]
Ángel Rod íguez-Banda
Pe sonali y, Assessmen & Psychological T ea men Depa men , Uni e sidad de Se illa, Se ille, Spain.
a [email protected]
Recei ed / Recibido: 02/04/2024
Accep ed / Acep ado: 25/07/2024
Sugges ed ci a ion / Suge encia de ci a: López-Cepe o, J., Español, A., & Rod íguez-Banda, Á. (2025). A mul ispecies jou ney: companion animals
and amily de elopmen om a li e-cou se pe spec i e. Re is a Española de Sociología, 33(3), a252 h ps://doi.o g/10.22325/ es/ es.2022.252
* Co esponding au ho / Au o pa a co espondencia: Ja ie López-Cepe o, [email p o ec ed]
ABSTRACT
This s udy p o ides in o ma ion abou he ole o companion animals in he li e
cou ses o he amily om a de elopmen al app oach, concei ing he bond be ween
species as he in e sec ion o jou neys o humans and companions. Th ee online ocus
g oups we e conduc ed. A hema ic analysis was pe o med, using an expe ien ial and
cons uc i is pe spec i e. Fou hemes e e ed o momen s o co-exis ence: 1) he a i al
o he companion, 2) he join ma u a ion o he ela ionship, 3) changes ela ed o amily
ansi ions, and 4) he end o he ela ionship. These hemes desc ibe how he sel hood o
he companions and he iden i y o he amily coe ol es along he li e-cou se and highligh
he challenges he amilies ace. These indings con ibu e o he li e a u e ha ques ions
domina ing social discou ses and show eme ging models o mul ispecies amilies.
Keywo ds: Family ansi ions, li e-cou se pe spec i e, companion animals, hema ic
analysis, animal u n.
RESUMEN
El p esen e es udio analiza el papel de los animales de compañía en el cu so de ida de
la amilia. U iliza pa a ello un en oque e olu i o, concep ualizando el ínculo en e especies
como una in e sección de ayec o ias i ales de animales humanos y no humanos. Se
lle a on a cabo es g upos ocales en línea y se ealizó un análisis emá ico u ilizando
una pe spec i a i encial y cons uc i is a. Los cua o emas ex aídos hacen e e encia a
A mul ispecies jou ney: companion animals and amily de elopmen om a li e-cou se pe spec i e
2RES n.º 34 (1) (2025) a252. pp. 1-18. ISSN: 1578-2824
INTRODUCTION
The composi ion o Spanish homes has changed conside ably in he las decades (Meil e
al., 2023; Mínguez e al., 2017). In line wi h da a om o he Wes e n coun ies, he numbe o
companion animals ( hose ha cohabi a e wi h human beings wi h he main ole o p o iding
company, wi hou keeping he house, chasing, o ha ing o he du ies) has isen in a sus ained
manne (Sobo ka & Be ghamme , 2021). The e is an inc easing p esence o companion animals
in Spanish homes, wi h cu en ly o e 15 million egis e ed dogs and ca s (Ve e indus ia &
ANFAAC, 2021), while he e a e cu en ly less han 8 million people unde 18 yea s o age
(Ins i u o Nacional de Es adís ica, 2021). A he same ime, he conce n o hei well-being
is inc easing (Eu opean Commission, 2017; US Census Bu eau, 2022). Spanish legisla ion also
e lec s his conce n: In 2023, he law on he p o ec ion o animal igh s and well-being was
passed, ecognizing he obliga ion o “keeping hem in eg a ed in he amily nucleus” (Law
7/2023). Companions ecei e inc easing a en ion in ou households.
Despi e hei ubiqui ous p esence in ou daily li es, he impo ance o in e ac ion be ween
humans and o he animals has been la gely igno ed wi hin he sociological li e a u e (B yan ,
1979; Sande s, 2003). This absence ound suppo in classic au ho s such as G.H. Mead, who
a gued ha only human beings can pa icipa e in ce ain symbolic in e ac ions, elega ing
non-human animals o a pe iphe al ole, and depic ing hem mo e like objec s han like
subjec s (I ine, 2004a). Howe e , his iew has been in ensely deba ed and se e al oices
ha call o econside ing he con inui y be ween human and non-human animals (I ine,
2004b; Sande s, 2003).
F om a mac o poin o iew, i is easy o an icipa e ha changes in he composi ion o
amilies would c ea e new na a i es, and ha hese may challenge he homogenic social
no ms (Ehme , 2021; Sobo ka & Be ghamme , 2021), some hing ha may os e open deba es
on hei adequacy. In addi ion, he ela ionship be ween human beings and o he species is
ull o inconsis encies (He zog, 2011): o example, a abbi ha is conside ed a pe ecei es
e e ina y ca e and a en ion h oughou hei li e, while many o he s a e aised as ood o
subjec s o scien i ic s udy (p o i ) o elimina ed as a pes (Taylo & Signal, 2009). In o he
wo ds, he s a us o non-human animals is no de i ed om he species o any objec i e
cha ac e is ics (e.g., phylogenesis o scien i ic axonomy), bu om elemen s such as hei
appea ance o use ulness wi hin he social con ex (Be lin, 1992; López-Cepe o e al., 2021).
These olk axonomies de i e om cul u al p e e ences and aboos and acili a e he
pe pe ua ion o discou ses ha a ec he ecogni ion —o exclusion— o animal igh s (G ay
& Young, 2011; Ha is, 1989).
Focusing on he li es o companion animals, p e ious s udies show ha mos o he
pa icipan s conside companion animals o be ela i es (Bouma e al., 2022; Ca lisle-F ank
& F ank, 2006) bu , wha does ela i e mean? The amily is one o he elemen al uni s ha
allow de ining con empo a y socie ies (Fu us en, 2023), ye i is di icul o p o ide an exac
momen os de con i encia: 1) la llegada del animal, 2) la madu ación conjun a de la elación,
3) los cambios elacionados con las ansiciones amilia es, y 4) el inal de la elación. Es os
emas desc iben cómo la indi idualidad de los animales de compañía y la iden idad de la
amilia coe olucionan a lo la go del cu so de la ida y ponen de elie e los e os a los que
se en en an las amilias. Es os hallazgos con ibuyen a la li e a u a que cues iona los
discu sos sociales dominan es y mues an modelos eme gen es de amilias mul iespecies.
Palab as cla e: ansiciones amilia es, ayec o ia i al, animales de compañía, análisis
emá ico, gi o animal.
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de ini ion o wha cha ac e izes a amily. Classical pe spec i es p esen in Wes e n socie ies
end o p i ilege he physical con ex (e.g., household), use de ini ions based on legal bonds
and/o consanguini y, and unc ions such as aising o sp ings; howe e , hese con igu a ions
(i.e., he e ono ma i e ma iage wi h child en in hei ca e) a e jus one o he many si ua ions
ha exis , and an inc easing numbe o homes a e dwelled by econs i u ed, one-pa en
amilies, same-sex couples and/o li ing apa oge he amilies (Ehme , 2021; Meil e al.,
2023).
Fo all he abo e, analyzing how companion animals i wi hin amilies ep esen s a double
challenge, de ined by he in e sec ion o ans o ma ion o amilies and he na u e o human-
animal in e ac ions. Di e en au ho s highligh he di icul ies encoun e ed in he p ocess o
in eg a ing non-human animals wi hin he concep ion o he amily (Fox & Gee, 2019; I ine &
Cilia, 2017; Lau en -Simpson, 2017). These di icul ies a e e lec ed in he appea ance o no el
exp essions ha desc ibe he new households (e.g., mul ispecies amily, ins ead o amily
wi h a pe ) and in he oles ha hose animals play (e.g., u y babies), which a e subjec o
s ong deba e wi hin bo h gene al popula ion and esea che s.
Mo ing owa ds a mic osys emic app oach, i is impo an o analyze how hose deba es
in e pella e people in e ms o concei ing and labeling hei ela ionship wi h non-human
animals. Explo ing he ic ion poin s be ween he classical-hegemonic and he new
discou ses con ibu es o unde s anding he challenges aced by he eme ging amily models
(Hin z & B own, 2020).
When alking abou how animals i in o human amilies, wo complemen a y
concep s ha e played a cen al ole in li e a u e: an h opomo phizing and humaniza ion.
An h opomo phizing consis s o he ecogni ion o human quali ies in nonhuman en i ies,
li ing o ine , placing he emphasis on indi idual cogni ion; and humaniza ion includes he
le el o inco po a ion o hese en i ies in o he con ex s o human ac i i y (Shi -Ve esh,
2012). Gi en ha bo h concep s e e o he deg ee o esemblance be ween human and non-
human animals, mos o he s udies a ailable a e oo ed in an an h opocen ic concep ion,
wi h animals being depic ed no as subjec s, bu as objec s o bi ing a ound he ( eal) human
amily.
Se e al au ho s called o a eexplo a ion o he in e ac ion be ween human and non-
human animals ha gi es a oice o he expe ience o companion animals as subjec s, and
no as me e objec s (Adams, 2018; Cha les, 2016). Wi hin sociology, some au ho s claim ha
non-human animals may ul ill he equi emen s o de elop sel hood, hus making hem
suscep ible o s udy wi hin he heo e ical pa adigms adi ionally used wi h humans (I ine,
2012). Fo example, symbolic in e ac ionism poin s o ou sel -expe iences as ing edien s
o he eme gence o sel hood: agency, cohe ence, a ec i i y, and his o y, whose applica ion
o non-human animals has been explo ed and deba ed in ecen decades (I ine, 2021,
2023). The e o e, i is o in e es o analyze he i o animals wi hin amilies no om a s a ic
poin o iew, bu as a p ocess in which coexis ence de e mines he appea ance o amily
ela ionships.
Each amily e ol es h ough i s own his o y. The amily li e cycle is unde s ood as he
succession o s eps o s ages ha amilies go h ough. Howe e , he li e-cycle model o e s
a s anda d ha is no me by all amilies. In con as wi h a classical iew, in which amilies
a e de e mined by legal bonds, coexis ence, and child upb inging, he li e-cou se pe spec i e
p o ides a mo e lexible iew, which includes di e en ypes o amily (Aeby & Gau hie ,
2021; Be na di e al., 2019). This app oach unde s ands ha amilies do no ollow a single,
socially de e mined pa h, bu ha hey can ha e di e en jou neys, mo ing om some s a es
o o he s and back (Aeby & Gau hie , 2021; Gau hie e al., 2018). No e e y amily mee s he
same s anda ds.
A mul ispecies jou ney: companion animals and amily de elopmen om a li e-cou se pe spec i e
4RES n.º 34 (1) (2025) a252. pp. 1-18. ISSN: 1578-2824
As a co olla y o he abo e, i is impo an o highligh some cha ac e is ics ha may
in luence he ela ionship be ween humans and o he animals. Fi s , he li e a u e shows ha
women ep esen he as majo i y o pa icipan s in s udies o human-animal in e ac ions;
his disequilib ium has been linked o gende oles, as women end o be mo e posi i e in
exp essing a ec ion and empa hy owa d animals (Clea y e al., 2022; Randle e al., 2021).
Second, he composi ion o he household is ele an o he deba e, as he idea o companions
playing he ole o su oga e child en (i.e., subs i u e expe iences o eal pa en hood) di ec ly
connec s o hegemonic discou ses, whe e a amily implies ha ing o sp ings (Hin z & B own,
2020; Volsche, 2018). Thi d, he place whe e pa icipan s li e may a ec hei expe iences, as
people li ing in a u al en i onmen may in e ac wi h mo e animals in hei daily con ex (such
as wild and e al indi iduals, ee- anging animals, o li es ock) han he u ban popula ion
does. I is impo an o ake hose a iables in o conside a ion in he sampling p ocess o
ensu e ha esul s may ep esen a wide ange o discou ses.
The e o e, he li e a u e shows an in e es in upda ing knowledge abou how human
and non-human animals ela e o each o he in he home, gi ing i a less an h opocen ic
pe spec i e (wha has come o be called animal u n) and analyzing hese changes as
a dynamic p ocess. Howe e , mos o he a ailable s udies ocus mainly on analyzing he
human-animal bond om a s a ic poin o iew, es ablishing ha companion animals a e
in eg a ed in o he adi ional human in e ac ions and oles (e.g., being pa o iangula
o ma ions o se ing as emo ional cushions in con lic i e ela ionships) (Leow, 2018; Walsh,
2009b). In cohe ence, he aim o he cu en s udy was o p o ide in o ma ion abou he
ole companions played in he li e-cou se o amilies. To his end, he amily expe ience was
analyzed om a quali a i e app oach, explo ing how he sel hood o companions de elops
along cohabi a ion, and how his a ec s he appea ance o mul ispecies amilies.
METHODOLOGY
Pa icipan s and sampling
The sample consis ed o 11 women and 1 man, dis ibu ed in h ee ocus g oups. The age
o he pa icipan s anged be ween 18 and 64 yea s and wo hi ds o hem li ed in u ban
cen es. Th ee cohabi a ed wi h hei pa en s, while he emaining had s a ed new mul i-
species households wi h o wi hou in ima e pa ne s and o sp ings. They coexis ed wi h 1-5
company animals, and all o hem ha e cohabi ed a di e en momen o hei li espan, being
dogs and ca s he mos usual species. Cohabi a ion las ed mo e han one yea in all cases.
The main sociodemog aphic da a and hei dis ibu ion in he ocus g oups a e speci ied in
he appendix.
The pa icipan s ag eed o sha e hei expe ience o how pe s i in o Spanish amilies.
The ins uc ions s a ed ha he s udy ocused on he coexis ence and de elopmen o he
daily li e o amilies who li e wi h animals. Pa icipan s we e equi ed o be o e 18 yea s o
age, be a na i e Spanish speake , and co-exis wi h company animals in he 6 mon hs p io
o he mee ing. Simila ly, he ela ionship o he pa icipan s wi h animals had o be limi ed
o coexis ence, excluding people who wo ked wi h animals as a li elihood (e.g., e e ina ies,
dog educa o s, o animal g oome s).
The e is no consensus on he adequa e minimum numbe o pa icipan s o quali a i e
s udies (APA, 2020). B aun & Cla ke (2013) no e ha h ee ocus g oups may be su icien o
comple e medium-sized p ojec s (p. 48), as in he case o he p esen s udy. Ou wo k aimed
o explo e he meanings and expe iences o mul ispecies amilies a he han o e i y he
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quan i y o ex en o such discou ses in he Spanish popula ion. The e o e, he quan i ica ion
o hei ela i e p esence alls ou side o he objec i es o he p esen s udy.
Ins umen s
The esea che s c ea ed an ad hoc semi-s uc u ed sc ip o he whole p ojec , which
included h ee main opics o explo e: 1) he ela i e posi ion o he animal wi hin he amily
o ganiza ion, 2) he unc ional o ganiza ion in he amily nucleus, and 3) he assimila ion
o he animals o ca ego ies o human ela ionship (e.g., child en, iends, e c.). The ocus
g oups we e conduc ed in he Blackboa d Collabo a e Ul a en i onmen . This pla o m
allows eco ding mee ings in ooms ha can only be accessed by in i a ion. To code he
ansc ip ions, we used InVi o .12 quali a i e analysis so wa e, which allowed o ganizing he
in o ma ion de i ed om he analysis.
P ocedu es
The pa icipan s we e ec ui ed online, using social ne wo ks (Facebook and Twi e ) and
he labo a o y websi e o he HABIER lab [Human-Animal Bond in In e en ions, Educa ion &
Resea ch; h ps://g upos.us.es/habie ]. People who we e in e es ed in his s udy comple ed
an online o m, which eques ed hei in o med consen , in compliance wi h he equi emen s
o he E hics Commi ee o Uni e si y o Se illa (Spain). Pa icipan s we e dis ibu ed in h ee
ocus g oups acco ding o hei schedule a ailabili y. Al hough ec ui ing was open o bo h
men and women, mos o he pa icipan s e e ed o be women.
The da a we e ga he ed online, hus acili a ing he access o people om all o e Spain
(S ewa & Shamdasani, 2015). Pa icipan s could choose whe he o sha e he ideo image
o only he audio ile, as well as he use o a pseudonym, o p ese e hei in imacy (Lobe e
al., 2020).
The mee ings we e 103 minu es long on a e age. They we e eco ded and ansc ibed
e ba im a ending o he seman ic con en (B aun & Cla ke, 2013), and hey we e analyzed
ollowing he hema ic analysis (TA) me hod (B aun & Cla ke, 2006, 2021). Coding was ca ied
ou in se e al sessions by he h ee au ho s and each session was a ended by a leas wo o
hem. TA o e s a guide o de elop he analysis in six s eps, om he iden i ica ion o speci ic
codes o he abs ac ion o gene al hemes, including se e al s ages o code e ision and
e inemen .
Ou p ocedu e o TA used an expe ien ial and cons uc i is pe spec i e, a ending o
bo h he discou ses and he emo ional exp essions ha accompanied hem. The analysis
was ini ia ed wi h a deduc i e and seman ic app oxima ion, paying special a en ion o e ms
ha a e equen ly used in amily s udies (e.g., s uc u e, hie a chy, and communica ion),
he de elopmen o sel hood (agency, cohe ence, a ec ion, and his o y), in he scope o
human-animal in e ac ion (e.g., humaniza ion, an h opomo phizing), and ha e e ed o
amily e olu ion (e.g. s ages, u ning poin s) ha appea ed along he in e ac ion, as a guide
o ecognize esponse pa e ns. The elabo a ion p ocess e ol ed owa d a mo e induc i e
analysis ha was ocused on he la en con en s.
The esul s o he analyzes o he whole s udy we e g ouped in o ou o e a ching
hemes: 1) key elemen s in he c ea ion o he mul ispecies amily ela ionships; 2) choice
o e ms o desc ibe hese ela ionships; 3) o ganiza ional schemes o mul ispecies amilies;
and 4) de elopmen al aspec s o he human-animal bond in he li e cycle o he amily. The
A mul ispecies jou ney: companion animals and amily de elopmen om a li e-cou se pe spec i e
6RES n.º 34 (1) (2025) a252. pp. 1-18. ISSN: 1578-2824
cu en s udy p esen s he esul s ela ed o he las o hese o e a ching hemes, ese ing
he es o he analyses o o he publica ions.
RESULTS
The analysis allowed o eaching a consensus on a model o ou in e ela ed hemes,
which e e ed o 1) a i al o he animal in he household, 2) join ma u a ion o he
ela ionship, 3) adap a ion o amily cou se ansi ions, and 4) end o he ela ionship. Figu e
1 p esen s a g aphic scheme o he o ganiza ion o hese hemes.
Figu e 1. Fou hemes o unde s and coe olu ion o he mul ispecies amily.
Theme 1. P epa ing o he a i al o ou new companion animal: The map
comes be o e he ip
The a i al o ou new membe o he mul ispecies amily implies decision-making and
an an icipa ion p ocess. Elemen s such as expec ed coexis ence ime (li elong adop ion
o empo a y os e ing) and adap a ion in he p eexis ing amily s uc u e and dynamics
(whe he he animal is added o he amily o he amily changes o ecei e he new membe )
we e ypical decisions in he discou ses gi en by he pa icipan s. The e o e, pa o he
animal’s jou ney is nego ia ed e en be o e she a i es home.
I ha e he house as “ca i ied”, which is wha hey say when you adap he house
o he needs o he ca . She has he place o s e ch he nails, she has a lo o climb,
hings like ha . In o he wo ds, I ha e ied o mee he needs ha he ca may ha e.
[FG 1; MR]
The deba e (o lack o deba e) on how o inco po a e he animal, he dis ibu ion o ca e
du ies, and he necessa y changes in he o ganiza ion o he household p o ides a con ex o
he amily o nego ia e i s s uc u e and limi s (Walsh, 2009a).
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[Abou wo couples she knows in he en i onmen ] One o he couples, hey bo h
ag eed ha when she a i ed, hey adap ed he a couple o yea s ago, hey we e e y
clea ha when he dog a i ed, she was going o do wha she wan ed. So, he e has
been no con lic he e. The o he couple I am no su e [...] In ou case, we adop ed him
when we ha e come o li e oge he , we did no ha e o a gue, we bo h ag eed. [FG2;
MG].
As desc ibed abo e, mos discou ses based he inco po a ion o he animal on human
decisions, implici ly cha ac e izing he companion animals as passi e subjec s (Cha les, 2016).
Ou pa icipan s decided o adop o buy animals, so i was a comple ely human decision.
A small p opo ion o he pa icipan s used na a i es in which he non-human animals
played a decisi e ole in his inclusion, —e.g., when he animal ollows one o he amily
membe s on his/he way home (Imbe -Black, 2009)—, which akes place mo e equen ly in
u al en i onmen s. In hose cases, he beha io o he animal is in e p e ed as a ges u e o
will, hus ecognizing he abili y o he nonhuman animal o make decisions, in he sense o
he agency desc ibed by symbolic in e ac ionism (Baggio, 2023; I ine, 2012).
Inco po a ion o he animal ep esen s a momen o ansi ion ha is in luenced by
social and amily alues. This is e lec ed in some e hical deba es (which a e ac i e in he
sociological en i onmen , e.g., in social ne wo ks) abou he decision o inco po a ing he
animal h ough adop ion o pu chase, o abou he p e e ence o a speci ic b eed o e
mixed-b eed animals.
This is a equen eason o a guing in g oups [social ne wo ks], because some o
us belong o hese g oups and we oppose... pu chasing animals [...] [ o me] he ac o
buying an animal poses a mo al deba e, and he ac ha he e is an indus y a ound
he animal. I ell you, his is ho . [FG2; LS]
As a whole, he inco po a ion o a companion animal o he home poses a chance o
gene a e in e nal deba es in he amily (wi h ega d o he ou ines, s uc u e, and alues),
as well as ex e nal deba es (es ablishing a dialogue be ween he iden i y o he new amily
con igu a ion and he domina ing social discou se). The e o e, he impac o his ansi ion
mus be alued as a dynamic p ocess, in which indi idual and con ex ual jou neys make i
necessa y o sea ch o a new amily iden i y (Adams, 2018, 2019).
Theme 2. Ma u a ion o he ela ionship: by walking you make he pa h
The amily con igu a ion a ies h oughou ime, and he jou neys o humans and
nonhumans coe ol e du ing coexis ence. In gene al, he pa icipan s s a ed ha he passing
o ime is an impo an ac o o gene a e an emo ional bond wi h hei companion animals,
who can each a g ea e s a us as he a achmen g ows. Companions ge included in he
amily p ima y, meaning ul ames o beha io (such as i uals and adi ions), c ea ing
ans o med pa e ns o ac i i y ha will lead o being pe cei ed as an indi idual (I ine,
2004b, 2023).
The u h is ha I ha e sha ed many hings wi h he , igh ? Apa om he day- o-
day ou ine o ha ing a amily dog, I ha e wo ked a lo wi h he , and I ha e enjoyed i a
lo . And I know ha she has also enjoyed i , igh ? To see how she has o e come many
hings, o come in a ce ain con ex and, li le by li le, she has also been g owing and
e ol ing. And now she shows a pe sonali y, a di e en cha ac e han when I adop ed
he and me he , igh ? And hen he issue o he bond ha has e ol ed o e ime, o
cou se, has been imp o ing o his day. [FG1; BE]
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The p e ious quo e p o ides a comple e example o he ecogni ion o sel -expe iences
ha a e in he co e concep o sel hood, in e ms o Mead’s symbolic in e ac ionism (I ine,
2004a). The pa icipan (BE) desc ibes he abili y o eel (she has also enjoyed i ), he cohe ence
and indi iduali y ( e e ed o as pe sonali y/cha ac e ), he agency o change he wo ld ( o see
how she has o e come many hings) and he sense o sha ed his o y ( ega ded as e olu ion
o beha io and g owing up) (Baggio, 2023; I ine, 2023). So, h ough sha ed expe iences, non-
human animals ge mo e and mo e ecognized as indi iduals and ge in ol ed in he amily
s uc u e and i uals (Sande s, 2003).
As expec ed, he discou ses o he pa icipan s showed a a ie y o amily s uc u es
whe e companions i . E en when a achmen was in ense, some pa icipan s desc ibed ha
animals a e added o he amily cos ume, i ing he schema o ‘pe o he amily’:
The dogs I ha e a e a Mas i and a Lab ado . The Mas i and he Lab ado canno
be inside he house because ha is no easible. […] I i is e y cold, i ains a lo ,
he dogs come in and lie down in he en ance, bu ha ’s i , hey know pe ec ly well
ha hey canno be li ing, hey canno come o my oom o sleep in my bed, hey
unde s and ha . [FG 1; CA]
O he s desc ibed changes based on he in e ac ion, conside ing in en ions and
p e e ences, hus c ea ing ules o cohabi a ion ha y o be espec ul o he needs o all
componen s. In hese cases, hey ma ched he de ini ion o ‘mul ispecies amily’ (I ine &
Cilia, 2017). Howe e , ecognizing he needs o non-human animals en ails pa adoxes and
deba es since, on many occasions, he needs o companions a e compe ing wi h human
p e e ences.
My animals a e pa o my amily, bu a child is a child, i is a comple ely di e en
hing om my dogs [...] And I pe sonally hink ha o en ea ing hem as humans also
gene a es p oblems la e . […] The e is a di e ence be ween hinking abou wha a dog
is and hei needs as an animal and humanizing hem. [FG2; LU]
When child en each adolescence, hey become mo e au onomous in making decisions
abou he limi s and ules imposed on he animals; his could also pose a dec ease in he ime
hey play o in e ac wi h he companions (Bu es & Gee, 2021). In hose cases, he ansi ion o
he human may a ec he ole and s a us ecognized o he companions.
[In he beginning] my pa en s did no wan he dog inside he house. La e , when I
was a bi olde , I le he inside he house, in my oom, in he ba h oom, all he places
whe e I wen . Then, my mo he consen ed, as she also g ew a ached o he . [FG2; MJ]
Theme 3. Changes in he ela ionship due o amily cou se ansi ions
While some o he changes in he s uc u e o he amily may ake place h ough a p ocess
o ma u a ion, o he s may occu in a conc e e, as e pe iod. In hose cases, he pa icipan s
desc ibed in lec ion poin s o he s a o new episodes in which he amilies expe ienced
ab up changes. To he ques ion o which e en s may modi y he conside a ion o he animals
wi hin he amily, ou pa icipan s deba ed ou ansi ion momen s (Be na di e al., 2019;
Walsh, 2009b): he c ea ion o a couple, he b eakup o he ela ionship, he bi h o a child,
and lea ing he amily home as independen adul s.
Se e al o ou pa icipan s commen ed on hei expe ience in he ansi ion om coexis ing
only wi h non-human animals o in eg a ing a new pa ne in o he household. In some cases,
he in e ac ion be ween hei companion animals and hei po en ial pa ne s was used as
an elemen o judgemen on u u e compa ibili y, a ibu ing o he animal some deg ee o
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ele ance in he decision o es ablish a ela ionship, which is consis en wi h he esul s
o p e ious s udies (Clou ie & Pee z, 2016; G ay e al., 2015). In hose si ua ions, in which
he ela ionship e ol ed owa d coexis ence, he s a us o he companion animal was no
de alued. In ac , many o he pa icipan s s a ed ha ‘ he animal came i s ’, making i clea
ha espec ing he s a us o he companion was a condi ion o p og ess in he ela ionship.
In he ollowing pa ag aph, he pa icipan alludes o bo h a ec i i y and sha ed his o y wi h
his companions as elemen s ha jus i y he decision.
I hink i also depends on he si ua ion. I mean, i you ha e a pa ne be o e ha ing
a companion animal, I hink he decision on whe he o include he animal in he
household should be made be ween you and you pa ne . Bu i you ha e an animal
be o e you ind a pa ne and you a e used o sleeping wi h he , hen, in he end, he
animal will win in mos cases. [FG1; CA]
Some pa icipan s p o ided expe iences abou he e ec s o b eaking up wi h a pa ne
on he a e o companion animals. The legal (who is he legal owne o each animal) and
emo ional (bond o a achmen ) elemen s we e discussed. Se e al in e iewees e e ed
o he need o es ablish a balance be ween he human p e e ences and he needs o he
companion animal, showing an in e es in gi ing a oice o non-human animals (Adams, 2010).
Some imes you ha e o sha e “cus ody o he pe s”. And hey ha e some needs, I
mean, I also now li e [ou side o Spain], I see my ca when I e u n o [home own], bu
i would seem p e y shi y o me o pu my ca in a ca o a six hou d i e o come wi h
me o a mon h o wo and I don’ e en ha e good condi ions he e o him ei he […]
He has his needs co e ed, his emo ional needs a e also co e ed, and I s ill main ain a
bond wi h him when I see him. [FG3; CR]
Since companion animals a e usually labeled su oga e child en in he popula way o
hinking (Lau en -Simpson, 2017), i is no su p ising ha he bi h o a new human amily
membe was one o he deba ed miles ones in he amily jou ney, e en among pa icipan s
who we e no pa en s. Discou ses poin ed ou ha he a i al o a child makes i necessa y o
adap ou ines and schedules o he new needs, posing an objec i e dec ease o he a ailable
esou ces o ake ca e o he animal. On he o he hand, he bi h o a child acili a es he
e-adjus men o he use o e ms c ea ed o human ela ionships, such as baby o child
(Powe , 2008; Volsche, 2018), which a e hen ese ed o he in an . Ne e heless, his does
no necessa ily wo sen he s a us o he animal.
She is a dog. She needs o un a ound, en , come home i ed. So, whene e we
could, we wen o a walk, in [ he o me ci y o esidence] he e we e a lo o cool
places and, when we mo ed o [ he cu en ci y], we ied o ind e e y pa k a ailable
o his pu pose. The baby a i ed, and we ied o do he same, bu adap ing o
he schedules o a baby. Howe e , he dog was i s , and so... we canno change he .
Besides, she is an animal; she could ge dep essed o some hing, and I am a aid his
could happen. [FG1; LU]
Las ly, he pa icipan s men ioned he ansi ion o he amily o he emp y nes .
Speci ically, hey highligh ed he changes hey obse ed when hey le hei home o o igin.
The discou ses showed ha he bond wi h companion animals became mo e in ense, ecei ing
g ea e a en ion, as was also epo ed in p e ious s udies (Gou eia & Cas én, 2021).
The e ha e always been dogs a my home, and in he end, he e was only one dog
and no child en, so ha dog became my mo he ’s child [...] We had big dogs, bu his
one, due o his [small] size, was mo e p one o ha kind o a i ude. My mo he pu s
clo hes on he dog, because he is old and has a h i is. She also co e s him wi h a
blanke [...] She also makes special ood o him in he mo ning and a nigh . So, he is
he mos spoiled child o all [FG3; CR].
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APPENDIX
Sociodemog aphic da a o pa icipan s
# G oup Tag Gende Age En i onmen Ca ing o any human
ela i e? Ca e o animals Cu en # o com-
panions Species cohabi a ed
1 CA Male 18-29 Ru al No Sha ed 4-5 Dog, ca
1 B Female 30-39 U ban No Alone 1 Dog
1 MR Female 30-39 U ban No Sha ed 1 Ca , o he
1LU Female 30-39 U ban Siblings Sha ed 1 Dog, abbi
2CB* Female 30-39 U ban No Sha ed 2-3 Dog
2MG Female 18-29 Ru al No Sha ed 1 Dog
2LS Female 40-64 Ru al No Sha ed 2-3 Dog
2MJ Female 18-29 Ru al No Sha ed None Dog, o he
3 EL Female 18-29 U ban No Sha ed 2-3 Dog, ca
3RQ Female 18-29 U ban No Sha ed None Ca , o he
3 CR Female 30-39 U ban No Sha ed 4-5 Dog, ca
3MC Female 30-39 U ban No Sha ed 4-5 Dog
* Pa icipan could no comple e he in e iew due o echnical p oblems.
