That's one thing I never had to explain to my mom when I first decided to get a bp when I was 10. She likes to hold them as much as I do. Of course it's nearly everyone else in the world that you have to have that "it may not be a dog or a cat but I can still cuddle with it all the same" talk with.
But that's why I moved into boas instead of bps like I originally planned, relaxing with my 6' hog island girl is nice since she's so big, and still growing.