Cловообразование

Образуйте от слова FRIEND однокоренное слово так, чтобы оно грамматически и лексически соответствовало содержанию текста.

Having friends is extremely important, and most people spend a lot of time with them. But is there another type of _______________ that they may be missing out on? Would having a pet be just as good? There is some evidence to support this interesting suggestion.