I pray this is a fake -- a few old-teens with too much time on their hands who are creating a stupid simulation.
I recently lost my cat of 25 years. I cry for her almost as much as I do for my Mom's loss. Grief is a very strong emotion.
My take is that we humans have been caretakers of animals for many years.
We have a sacred trust to our pets -- we love you and take care of you. You just tell us you know.