I know what you mean our dog was quite old and spent most of his day with my husband -so he was grieving too (and took a while to recognise there was a new hieracrchy) but he became the thing that kept me going and a constant companion as lack of sleep resulted in a lot of walking at odd times of night.
But I can beat you on neighbours and bonkers. - since my dog died i have been talking too fish -
I never had any desire for fish but saved a friends little girls tears (daddy was going to send it to blackpool because it (allegedly) ate other fish) what turned out to be a parrot fish arrived in a jug and i got it a small tank - fish dont need much looking after and only live a couple of years right ? what did i know - the little girl is now 15, and the fish is about 9 inches long and living in a massive tank taking up an entire corner of the living room. He is on his own because of his reputation, and given his attitude to the "toys" (who knew there were toys for fish) i have put in there, it may be justified - poor lonely fish but rather than risk carnage in the living room i talk too him the most - he will take food from my hand, and i swear he trys to flirt with me to get attention - he has a certain way of coming the the front then swimming backwards.
Then the goldfish arrived - one was won at a fair and immediately donated to me - my understanding was i would get a kids tank for it, then it (the tank) would go home with the grandson who won it - i got the tank, and the fish arrived with the grandson and never left ( the fish not the grandson)
Goldfish number two was rescued by same grandson from his friends house - its tank broke and would i look after it temporarilly ( a year ago).
Goldfish number two didnt look too healthy and having nursed number one back from its traumatic fairground start in life i wasnt keen to put them together - No2 was also 4 times the size of number 1, so out came the original small tank.
Most normal people would stick them into their garden pond or out of the way somewhere -theyre cold water fish - but no - - what if they freeze in the pond - what if a heron gets them, and what if another room in the house is colder and they are not as comfortable (comfortable !! theyre goldfish for goodness sake) so why is the opposite corner of the living room now filled with two goldfish tanks -and it gets better - positioned so they can see, therefore communicate with each other, and become "friends" before i find another tank big enough to house them both, on sale or swap.
Even i think i,m bonkers.