Why wouldnt it be real? Plenty of kids do this kind of "playing" with animals ask people how many pets they had as a kid.

Maybe most people here think its bad but in general people dont see it as a failure of the parent. I can see how you would think its grandstanding and it wasnt my intention. I was just trying to give a sane reply to a cruel post.

Like your intellectual grandstanding is better by even an iota.