Sorry to jump in, but, see, I could actually understand your point when I thought you were talking about an age thing... but now that you've clarified that it's an "emotional connection thing", well, your whole argument has gone to hell. Why? Because emotional connections are as subjective as it gets. Some people feel a connection to their pets that others will never feel for their sons. Hell, some people feel strongly connected to plants. Taking that into consideration, it's not hard to see how someone could have a strong emotional connection to their parents, especially considering the strong father-son link you've already mentioned.
