Whenever I’m asked if I have children, I usually say “My kids have always been furry!”
One thing I’ve noticed over the years is that even though I’m getting older, and the old bones don’t quite work the way they used to, I don’t feel the passage of time the way I suspect people with children do. I don’t see the years racing by as I watch little girls and boys growing up, leaving home, and having children of their own.
My furry “kids” will never go to school. They will never leave the nest, and go off and create lives of their own. Their lives are…and always will be…entwined with mine.

I am absolutely certain my 4 cats keep me young…AND they double as hot packs! I’ve got one for the neck, one for the low back and one for each knee.
We animal lovers also “speak” another language–non-human communication. I think that keeps us young too–not all those forehead wrinkles from trying to think up the right word!