John Lamparski/Getty Images for NYCWFF
- Rachael Ray says she doesn't regret not having kids even though she was "bashed for it" over the years.
- Instead, the celebrity chef said on her podcast that she prefers the company of her dog.
- And it's not just her — millennials these days are choosing to raise pets over kids.
Rachael Ray, 56, doesn't regret her decision to not have kids.
On Tuesday's episode of her podcast, "I'll Sleep When I'm Dead," the celebrity chef and TV host spoke to guest Bob Harper, a celebrity trainer from "The Biggest Loser," about dealing with the societal pressure to have children.
When Harper said he chose not to have kids of his own, Ray shared the same sentiment: "Me too. And boy, did I get bashed for it over the decades."
Instead of having kids, both Ray and Harper said they preferred raising dogs.
"They never talk back, they always want to hug you," Ray said, adding that pets bring her "a ray of light."
"It's that unconditional love, but it really gets you through dark days. Like for me, if I have the absolute worst day, or I'm sick as a dog — as the expression goes — the thing that makes me feel best is to go home and literally climb into bed under a blanket with my dog," Ray said.
The celebrity chef also spoke about dealing with the death of her dogs, Boo and Isaboo, whom she shared with her husband John Cusimano.
"They were everything to us, and they both lived a very long life. One was over 13, one was over 15," Ray said, adding that she and her husband then decided to adopt their current dog, Bella.
She said she believed that raising an animal can make a person "a better human."
"I don't understand folks that are not into having an animal in their lives, because it just makes you happier and better," Ray said. "And you have all this love in your life all the time, no matter what."
During a 2009 interview on ABC's "Nightline," as reported by The Wall Street Journal, Ray said she doesn't feel like she's missing out just because she doesn't have kids.
"I think that I'm 40 years old, and I have an enormous amount of hours that have to be dedicated to work," Ray told ABC journalist Cynthia McFadden, who pressed her about her decision to be child-free. "For me personally, I would need more time to feel like I'd be a good mom to my own child. I feel like a borderline good mom to my dog. So I can't imagine if it was a human baby... I feel like it would be unfair, not only to the child but to the people I work with."
The decision to be child-free
A 2021 Pew Research study found that more and more Americans aren't interested in having children.
Part of that is due to rising childcare costs: According to Business Insider's estimates, parents could spend at least $25,714 caring for a child this year, up 41.5% from 2016.
Instead, more millennials are choosing to raise pets instead of kids, pampering their furry companions with artisan treats, clothes, and even expensive overseas vacations.
Even in China, which is experiencing a shrinking population, the urban pet population is expected to surpass the number of toddlers by 2030.
A representative for Ray did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent by Business Insider outside regular hours.