My family and other animals

But how many Hong Kong couples who go to great lengths to pamper their pets actually think of them as substitutes for children?

A 2021 study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, titled "Can Pets Replace Children? The Interaction Effect of Pet Attachment and Subjective Socioeconomic Status on Fertility Intention", argues that though the attachment between humans and pets is expressed through behavioral patterns not unlike that between parents and small children, whether or not couples choose to procreate often has more to do with their socioeconomic status than their love of household pets.

Leung and her husband, both engaged in well-paid managerial roles, would like to have children at some point. They believe Bubu will make a good companion for their child when it arrives, helping inspire empathy for animals in general.

"The reality is that you won't have more than one or two kids per household, so a pet will keep them company," she says.

Tomkinson, too, doesn't see his pets as child surrogates.

"The dogs are a big part of our lives, and they mean the world to me; but they can't inherit a family legacy and nor could we bestow any financial gains on them when we leave," he says. "Going by the situation friends with children find themselves in, I'd say I'm a lot less stressed financially with just dogs."