Zoophily and Zoerasty

Animals, even those not strictly domesticated, have always been very popular as love objects. They enable children, especially little girls, to compete or identify in various ways with their mothers by being mothers to their own kittens, puppies, bunnies, or other animals. Single women or men can acquire one or more 'babies' of the kind that guarantee to remain little and dependent. Also, if they compare the proverbial canine obedience and submission to the independent self-assertion of a human companion they prefer a dog. Brill pointed out characteristic sayings such as: 'Love me, love my dog', or 'the more I know of men, the better I love my dog' (3).

The role animals play in the fantasy life of children and the dreams of adults was noted by Freud when he wrote that animals owe a good deal of the importance which they possess in myths and fairy tales to the frankness with which they show their genitals and sexual functions to the curious human child (8). Brill simply said that animals symbolize the primitive passions (3). I would add that by being allowed to display openly their unbridled animal instincts they also arouse the envy of children and their desire to identify with animals. Children always feel nearer to animals because even if animals grow older they do not seem to change their behavior; they never become threatening adults with their puzzling restrictions, prohibitions, and contradictions. Children are fascinated by the polymorphous sexual behavior of animals which produces vicarious excitement in them. Animal spectacles observed by children need not even be specifically sexual to arouse sexual excitement in the child and may be recaptured and elaborated in perverse masturbation fantasies throughout life.

Therefore, the assumption that animal pets not only allow children to maintain a healthy belief in man's inseparateness from the universe (19), and also to prepare them better for future