Be careful that you dont become desensitized to your fellow human being. Hate their sins but endevour to save them. As for animals, they respond to what they observe from you, it would be the same if you have kids, you can mould them in your image, but the animals who cannot sin will always be in union with natural and divine law, humans will not have that virtue. You probably like pets because they have this union with divine and natural law, but remember that you are not in union with those laws becaues of your sin, and know that only other humans can save you, because humans alone have the solution to sin, which is grace and the sacraments.

but someone told me to get a dog, but i would rather keep my cold aloofness. i have sympathy for other people more than they know, but just dont have the emotional tides that go with it since i am not connected to other people, and i dont want these tides either, because imo it would take me away from God and into the world which i am called to reject. so i dont want no pets polluting my mind with emotional mush.

Alright people don't start freaking out and calling me a wierdo or whatever but I just find animals more enjoyable sometimes. Maybe it's just me not finding the right people but people never cease to disappoint me with their backstabbing, with their false flattery, with seeing themselves as superior to you, with setting you up to get fired from your job, with their ungratefulness, etc.

My cat and my grandparents' Doberman Pincher however show intense acts of loyalty, care, gratefulness, uplifting you when you feel down, etc.

Trad Guy, I'm fond of domestic animals and admire animals in the wild. God intended man to be master over the animals and they have a completely different nature to ours.

For one thing animals cannot sin, but they nevertheless suffer, and we suffer at times, from the effect of sin on them.

Animals accept you for what you are, no questions asked, no arguments, no wise advice.

Humans also may chose to accept you as you are, chose to disagree with you, chose to give you wise advice.

The difference is sin on the one hand and free will on the other.

I find a hamburger more enjoyable than people, does that count ?

Be careful with extremes. It's one thing to enjoy animals and other thing to actually prefer animals over human beings.  Animals have no immortal souls. Human beigns are created as Images of God. I find it extremely silly, not to say creepy, and a sure sign of the insane times we live in, when people start refering to their pets as children, for example. It's a very common and disturbing trend nowadays in the secular world.  These people are sadly confused and disoriented, usually very hurt by social disappointment, and very lonely. After love of God,  love of neighbor comes first.

Animals have material souls versus human which have immortal souls. When an animal dies it's soul ceases to exist. If someone ever ends up in hell you may very well envy your pet's material soul.

There are reasons why people may love their pets more than other people: loyalty, dependence, the fact that dogs and such do not judge you.

Quote from: crossbro

There are reasons why people may love their pets more than other people: loyalty, dependence, the fact that dogs and such do not judge you.

My cat is particularly loyal to the man of the house. He's the one who feeds her.

Actually animals do judge you. They instinctively know what your character is.

If you mistreat them perhaps, but my meaning was more to the point that they will look past your faults and failings just so long as you keep the can spinning on the can opener.

 :dancing-banana: God's creatures are fascinating.  
To answer OP, it depends upon which animals and which people!  I'd sooner spend the evening with a chicken than with a gossiping former co-worker.  I'd choose to be penned up with a hungry Bp. W. than a hungry lion.

The thing with animals is that they haven't fallen from their true nature, so that you can always rely on them not to commit abominations offense to God. A dog is a dog, a cat is a cat, a snake is a snake. At least they haven't forgotten their proper place.

 :dancing-banana:
I challenge that!  Mr. Kitty most definitely knew his proper place was NOT on the kitchen counter, but he was caught there often.  And he knew he had been a naughty cat.  A cat or dog can definitely look guilty.  Unfortunately, he hadn't any contrition.  He was sorry he got caught. If he made a resolution, it was to repeat the deed at the first opportunity.
A friend's chihuahua, when caught being bad, would scoot on his belly across the floor to the corner, then place a paw over his eyes!
Many great Saints had pets.