久久久无码人妻精品无码_6080YYY午夜理论片中无码_性无码专区_无码人妻品一区二区三区精99

USEUROPEAFRICAASIA 中文雙語Fran?ais
China
Home / China / Top Stories

Empty nests, pet dogs

By Eric Jou and Han Bingbin | China Daily | Updated: 2011-12-11 07:47

 Empty nests, pet dogs

Parents neglected by children who are too busy or far away from home, often turn to pets for solace. Liu Zhe / China Daily

China has an aging population. As more and more only children leave to marry or work in another city, the elderly are left at home, alone and lonely. Many are turning to surrogate love from four-legged creatures. Eric Jou and Han Bingbin visit the world of the empty nesters and their beloved dogs.

On a cold winter's night in Beijing, five heavily bundled-up figures huddle in the brightly lit chamber housing a bank's 24-hour ATM machines. They are not contemplating an illegal heist, nor are they soliciting attention from passers-by. They are simply a gathering of old folks huddled together against the cold, waiting to walk their dogs and exchange gossip about their children, their pets and the latest health tonics for a long list of chronic illnesses that arrive with age.

In another corner of the parking lot in Dongcheng district, Zhang Fengru, 57, has brought her three dogs to socialize. Cradling a small Pomeranian bundled up in more sweaters than an Eskimo, Zhang looks happy as she watches her other dogs run around in circles.

"We come here every day, it's part of our nightly walk," says Zhang, gazing fondly at the dogs. "The animals all know each other and it gives me a chance to talk to my friends while our dogs get their exercise."

A total of 10 dogs from four owners are the regulars in this puppy party spot at the corner of Jiaodaokou and Gulou, and they are joined by occasional visitors and their canine pets on some evenings. Dogs of every breed, pedigree, size and age can be seen, but their owners are almost all elderly.

Zhang, who is retired from working in the oil industry, spends most of her day with her three dogs, which she fondly refers to as her own children even though she has offsprings of her own. When the topic of her two human children comes up, there is a flash of disappointment that flits across her face.

"Even though they live in Beijing, they never come and visit me. They're always too busy with this or that," Zhang says. "My dogs are closer to me than my children, they are here and my children are not."

Zhang is representative of a growing number of seniors in China who are empty nesters, with children who are grown and flown, or people who are now retired, and keeping pets for companionship. They seek solace and depend on their pets for company when they are lonely.

Fu Na, doctor of psychology at Beijing Normal University, says there are many benefits in old people keeping pets.

She says on the very basic level, caring for their pets forces the owners to exercise more, and find opportunities to socialize with other pet owners. The daily care that the pets demand, such as feeding, cleaning and grooming, prevents them from dwelling too much on their loneliness.

Fu says that the habit of referring to the dogs as their "son" or "daughter" is a surrogate situation that compensates for their missing children. Pets give unconditional love, and they do not answer back. Animals, especially dogs, are also nonjudgmental listeners.

"Raising pets can build an emotional connection that gives old people a complete sense of security," says Fu. "The pets are there to listen to their hopes, dreams, and even problems, and they do it by just being there."

Fu and her research team tracked more than 1,000 senior citizens in Beijing for half a year to find out more their well-being, such as their physical and psychological health. The subjects were divided equally into pet owners and non-pet owners.

Based on the results of the more than 700 questionnaires returned, Fu's study showed that pet owners are more likely to have better quality of daily life, with more social support, less chronic illness and require less medical treatment. More specifically, Fu's study points out that the longer someone keeps a pet, the better the quality of life.

A 66-year-old senior citizen living in by the Yonghegong area of Beijing who only gave his surname as Liu, bears testimony to the research results. Liu, a Beijing native, walks his pug Niu Niu along the park next to the Second Ring Road religiously every day. They can be seen walking every day - rain or shine - at about 6 pm and Liu says since he started having his dog, he has gone down three pant sizes and is feeling healthier and happier.

Liu is not exactly an empty nester although he sees more of the dog than his own son, who bought the pug but did not have time to look after it. As Liu's son became busier, Liu took over as the care-giver.

"Despite living with my son, I spend more time with the dog. I've raised it since it was puppy and it listens to my commands," says Liu.

Liu says Niu Niu has become like a second son, and the bond they share is a lifetime relationship. At one point, Liu thought about giving up the dog because he felt the pup was like a millstone, keeping him from traveling and leaving Beijing.

"Even if I did find a suitable person to take care of Niu Niu, I couldn't give him up," says Liu. "It is my duty to take care of it."

Liu's devotion is admirable and much mirrored in the bond that many other senior citizens share with their pets. But it can be a double-edged sword, says Fu Na.

She warns that raising pets may have troubling side effects. In her research, she discovered that pet-owners who choose to isolate themselves with their pets at home often cut-off other social interaction, which may lead to a "decrease in life satisfaction".

"It's especially dangerous for those who devote themselves to raising the pet," says Fu. "When it dies, it could take them at least half a year to - if they can - recover from the loss."

The sorrow can be overwhelming, as Lu Ling, 67, a veteran psychotherapist in Beijing says. She knows many cases and recounts an example of a couple who were grief-stricken when their dog died. Lu says it was obvious that the sorrow they felt was immense because although they tried to hide and pretend all was well, the pain was etched on their faces.

She also knows of another couple who had lost one of their four dogs. They became "an eccentric couple" who refused visits from acquaintances and seldom talked to neighbors.

"You can't rely on dogs to relieve the loneliness, old people should have a variety of recreation," says Lu. Nothing can replace human interaction, especially that between parent and child.

Lu is an empty nester herself, as her son works in the United States. But, she does not stay home with a pet, because she has none. She enjoys a healthy lifestyle - and spends her time visiting friends and relatives, travels and goes on vacation with her husband.

"These days, neighborhood communities offer diverse activities for old people such as dancing and singing, and there is a lot to do," she says. "Also, some seniors may have an expertise in specific fields which they can tap upon as a community volunteer, and share their wealth of knowledge with the younger residents."

Despite the double-edged nature of the bond between man and dog, some seniors value their relationships with their pets over the one they have with their children.

Chang Jixia, 52, part of the doggy group that meets in front of Jiaodaokou with Zhang Fengru, says that her dog is more like a son to her than her own son, who is 25 and still living at home.

"My son doesn't do anything for himself, he needs me to take care of him. It gets tiring," says Chang. "My Wangzai doesn't want anything from me, and he's so happy to see me all the time. He feels more like a son to me."

Wangzai, Chang's Yorkshire terrier, is 5 years old now. He was adopted a few years ago and he hasn't left Chang's side since. Chang says when she first got the puppy, he was very sickly and his legs couldn't hold him and he had breathing problems. At one point, Chang says, she had to give him mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

Over the years she has spent a lot of money on Wangzai and her other dog, a Pomeranian - money on food, hygiene, medical care, money which she says is well spent. Fellow dog lover Zhang agrees.

Zhang's own dog, Qiu Qiu, a rescued stray, was diagnosed with a lung infection a few years ago. Now with every breath he takes, he releases a crackling wheeze. Wrapped in a pint-sized down jacket with matching beanie, the chestnut-colored Pomeranian is costing Zhang upwards of a few thousand yuan a year just to keep him breathing.

Over at the Yu Kang Animal Hospital in the Sihui area of Beijing, investor and veterinary assistant Sun Jiayin, 29, has seen the effect that pets have on senior citizens.

Sun says seniors take much better care of their dogs than the young people and are more responsible when it comes to animal care.

"If an animal is sick, a senior owner would definitely take the animal to the hospital, whereas a younger person may try to wait it out," she notes.

"These days there are many older owners, and the prospect of the animal passing away is very daunting. Most will bury the animal or have some kind of ceremony. They may then buy or adopt another animal because they have become accustomed to having an animal companion."

Even though she knows she will probably outlive Qiu Qiu, Zhang says she will still care for the dog whole-heartedly. To Zhang, her dogs are part of her life and if they should pass away it will be unbearable, but she is not closed off to the idea of raising a new stray she finds on the street.

"Dogs are very loyal. They know if someone is kind to them, they will be loyal forever," Zhang says. And often, they love back more than the children do.

You can contact the writers at sundayed@chinadaily.com.cn.

Editor's picks
Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site.
License for publishing multimedia online 0108263

Registration Number: 130349
FOLLOW US
久久久无码人妻精品无码_6080YYY午夜理论片中无码_性无码专区_无码人妻品一区二区三区精99

    jiyouzz国产精品久久| 欧美夫妻性生活| 一区二区三区四区亚洲| 色综合中文字幕国产 | 久久嫩草精品久久久精品一| 成人丝袜视频网| 亚洲精品久久久蜜桃| 91.成人天堂一区| 久久成人免费网站| 久久综合久久综合久久| 国产精品88av| 一区二区三区日韩欧美| 日韩一区二区三区在线视频| 国产98色在线|日韩| 亚洲美女视频在线观看| 5566中文字幕一区二区电影| 国产在线一区二区综合免费视频| 中文字幕不卡三区| 欧美日韩中文字幕一区| 国产乱码字幕精品高清av| 综合分类小说区另类春色亚洲小说欧美| 在线免费观看成人短视频| 男女视频一区二区| 国产精品你懂的在线欣赏| 欧美揉bbbbb揉bbbbb| 国产乱码精品一区二区三区五月婷| 一区二区三区免费看视频| 精品国产一区二区三区忘忧草 | www.欧美日韩国产在线| 性做久久久久久免费观看| 久久综合色8888| 欧美视频精品在线观看| 国产精品一二二区| 亚洲第一久久影院| 国产日产欧美精品一区二区三区| 欧美中文字幕不卡| 国产剧情一区二区三区| 亚洲国产成人高清精品| 日本一区二区三区电影| 欧美精品99久久久**| 成人晚上爱看视频| 日本不卡的三区四区五区| 国产精品网站导航| 日韩一级大片在线观看| 91麻豆123| 国产精品一区二区无线| 午夜成人免费视频| 国产精品久久精品日日| 欧美成人性福生活免费看| 91丝袜国产在线播放| 韩国v欧美v亚洲v日本v| 亚洲成人av一区二区三区| 国产精品麻豆99久久久久久| 欧美大片在线观看一区二区| 91国偷自产一区二区三区成为亚洲经典| 国产另类ts人妖一区二区| 日韩二区在线观看| 一区二区三区四区五区视频在线观看| 国产视频一区在线观看| 日韩女优av电影在线观看| 色又黄又爽网站www久久| 成人综合在线视频| 久久99国产精品尤物| 午夜精品影院在线观看| 亚洲日本va在线观看| 国产三级精品三级在线专区| 欧美一卡2卡三卡4卡5免费| 色综合久久久久综合| 成人av免费在线| 国产成人免费网站| 精品一区精品二区高清| 日韩成人伦理电影在线观看| 夜夜揉揉日日人人青青一国产精品| 国产精品另类一区| 久久这里只精品最新地址| 日韩无一区二区| 欧美美女bb生活片| 欧美日本一道本| 欧洲视频一区二区| 一本大道综合伊人精品热热| 99精品视频在线播放观看| 粉嫩嫩av羞羞动漫久久久| 国产盗摄视频一区二区三区| 激情综合网激情| 久久精品国产亚洲aⅴ| 日韩成人精品在线观看| 午夜久久久久久电影| 亚洲成av人片在线观看无码| 亚洲国产日韩综合久久精品| 亚洲综合小说图片| 亚洲精品免费在线| 亚洲综合久久久久| 亚洲国产日韩精品| 亚洲成国产人片在线观看| 亚洲成人激情综合网| 亚洲高清免费观看高清完整版在线观看| 亚洲人妖av一区二区| 亚洲男人的天堂在线aⅴ视频| 国产精品欧美一区喷水| 国产精品乱码一区二三区小蝌蚪| 国产精品理论片在线观看| 国产精品全国免费观看高清 | 99久久婷婷国产综合精品电影 | 国产精品久久久久久久岛一牛影视 | 欧美日本一区二区| 这里只有精品99re| 日韩一区二区三区视频在线观看 | 亚洲欧美一区二区三区孕妇| 亚洲精品免费看| 亚洲va中文字幕| 日本网站在线观看一区二区三区| 麻豆精品一二三| 国产麻豆精品久久一二三| 成人一级片在线观看| 91香蕉视频在线| 欧美日韩视频专区在线播放| 91精品在线观看入口| 欧美电视剧在线观看完整版| 久久久久久久久久美女| 国产精品欧美综合在线| 一区二区三区四区亚洲| 日韩成人dvd| 国产乱子轮精品视频| 成人av资源在线观看| 色香蕉成人二区免费| 欧美日韩一区二区三区在线看| 欧美一区二区三区免费在线看 | 中文字幕av在线一区二区三区| 亚洲视频一区在线| 亚洲国产成人精品视频| 美女视频黄免费的久久 | 欧美视频精品在线观看| 日韩区在线观看| 国产欧美日韩精品a在线观看| 亚洲蜜桃精久久久久久久| 无吗不卡中文字幕| 国产最新精品精品你懂的| 99久久综合狠狠综合久久| 欧美日韩精品高清| 精品久久久久久无| 亚洲欧美在线观看| 丝瓜av网站精品一区二区| 国产麻豆日韩欧美久久| 91美女片黄在线观看| 欧美一级片在线| 国产精品视频免费| 亚洲va韩国va欧美va精品| 国产一区二区三区黄视频 | 在线看一区二区| 精品国产麻豆免费人成网站| 中文字幕一区二区三区在线观看| 日日噜噜夜夜狠狠视频欧美人| 国产精品一区二区男女羞羞无遮挡| 一本一道波多野结衣一区二区| 日韩一区二区高清| 亚洲图片你懂的| 久久9热精品视频| 色综合久久天天| 日韩美女天天操| 亚洲精品水蜜桃| 久久激五月天综合精品| 色噜噜狠狠成人网p站| 精品99999| 亚洲一区二区精品久久av| 国产精品一区二区在线观看网站| 欧美丝袜第三区| 欧美国产精品劲爆| 免费久久精品视频| 一本大道久久精品懂色aⅴ| 久久影音资源网| 亚洲福利一区二区| 波多野结衣一区二区三区 | 国产成人在线观看免费网站| 欧美日韩一区二区欧美激情| 国产日产精品一区| 日韩成人一级片| 日本高清视频一区二区| 久久九九影视网| 日韩精品91亚洲二区在线观看| jizz一区二区| 久久久蜜臀国产一区二区| 婷婷亚洲久悠悠色悠在线播放| 成人天堂资源www在线| 精品久久久久久久一区二区蜜臀| 亚洲综合小说图片| 成人av电影在线播放| 欧美xxxx老人做受| 亚洲成人资源在线| 色偷偷成人一区二区三区91| 久久精品夜夜夜夜久久| 蜜桃精品在线观看| 欧美日韩在线三级| 中文字幕亚洲精品在线观看| 国产精品亚洲а∨天堂免在线| 欧美一区二区人人喊爽| 亚洲激情图片qvod| 国产91精品精华液一区二区三区 | 麻豆国产精品视频| 欧美日韩国产高清一区二区| 亚洲欧洲中文日韩久久av乱码|