What gender is your dog or cat?

Oh Shit, just mis-gendered Him, er her, er they, er zee, er za, er baaaaah

I honestly think language is evolving now around this. I asked my daughter yesterday if she knew the difference between sex and gender. She said there basically isn't any. Sex is what you start off with when you're born - based on your body - but it can change to match your gender (how you feel) when you are older if you have an operation. She seems to think that if someone was born a woman but wants to change their sex to be a man, if they get surgery, this is possible. I tried to talk a bit about DNA and how a fake penis isn't the same as a real penis but she was having nothing of it. The way she argues with me and looked at me made me feel like I was in the wrong, the way I used to look at my dad when he'd say something horrid about gay people when I was younger.

I was chatting to my friend this morning about the 'argument' (she's currently studying linguistics) and she told me that the word sex is evolving. She used 'Aspergers' as an example. There has recently been some controversy over the term and it's not diagnosed in US anymore. The diagnostic criteria for autism has changed from a triad of impairment to a diad. It doesn't mean that people diagnosed 5 years ago do not have the same condition as those that will be diagnosed tomorrow. It just means that word has changed meaning.

It all seemed a bit above me to be honest but definitely has me thinking. I felt ashamed of myself yesterday arguing so strongly about the difference between sex and gender. The way my child looked at me. She's going to grow up thinking I'm a bigot. It got me thinking why I don't care as strongly about other words that have changed meaning over the years. The change in 'autism' must affect lots of people just the same as the change in 'sex'. Why does one bother me more than the other?

Sorry, probably derailed a bit, but I'm really not sure how I feel about things anymore. I honestly felt like my dad last night (who is still a homophobic, racist old grouch to this day).

Why do some people assume all cats are female and all dogs are male?

Throw back from childhood. Dog treats were "Good Boy" and blue, cat treats were "Good Girl" and pink.

Leroy actually has a "Good Girl" comb! 🙀

He"s a furry

Why do some people assume all cats are female and all dogs are male? So weird

Didn't you know. All cattle and cats are female and every other animal is male. Even the hermaphrodites like snails. It's their masculine animal nature innit?

There is an umbrella you know

What about "other"?

of course they need to ask what gender your dog is. There are enormous variations in the complications that male and female dogs may encounter during their lives and it’s important you have the right cover for your pets

That's the point. They need to know the pet's sex. Gender used to be merely a euphemism for sex, but isn't any more, people continuing to use it as such can be a problem. Not really for animals - this thread is just a bit of humour, but 'gender' rather than 'sex' on human medical forms is unfortunately likely to cause problems for trans people.

You’re being ridiculous. I’m not one to be involved in this bigger discssion generally but respect a lot of the discussion on here, but of course they need to ask what gender your dog is. There are enormous variations in the complications that male and female dogs may encounter during their lives and it’s important you have the right cover for your pets. I begin to lose respect for your wider discussion when silly comments like this are made.

My current dog is too lazy to care, but I'm pretty sure the previous dachshund identified as a very short Doberman. He even 'passed' as such on a couple of occasions.

To be honest he's a vicious bastard when the mood takes him, so I'm guessing he'll be fine! Besides, he's a black cat, and you have to be extra wary of black cats at Halloween... 😼

There's a local stray that I feed who people keep calling she in spite of his being a he. He's very pretty, has lovely green eyes and the daintiest little face. Perhaps I'm mistaken and other people can see his inner lady-cat-ness?

(Why do some people assume all cats are female and all dogs are male? So weird.)

Will Leroy be ok this month with Halloween coming up? All the imposters perpetrating literal violence should be illegal.

The vet calls cat HE, literal violence I tell ya sad The transphobic TERF. I hope you’ve reported him to Yorkshire police so they can track the literal murderer down and send to the gulag for re-education.

My cat Leroy is very much cis-gender, but trans-species.

He's got his lead on and we're out for his lunchtime walk...

Obviously I regularly check in with dcat to ask if they are ok and feel safe but they just say MIAOW - I don't know what to make of that, it's very worrying.

Can "lazy" be a gender?

When I asked D(evil)cat this question, he gave me the stink eye and sauntered off dismissively.

I think he's GC.

It is so hard to be true to dcat's soul and true identity, people just don't understand. The vet calls cat HE, literal violence I tell ya

Non binary feli-boi.

I’m so proud of you, XXaghast. Your dedication to your cat’s true identity is admirable and you will have the comfort of knowing, that thanks to your affirmation, your cat will not throw ‘herself’ under the jaws of a transphobic dog.

Everyone thinks my dog is a girl. What should I tick....

Cat has a penis but likes cuddly toys and being petted so obviously ids as Girlcat. Mermaids would approve of the having been fixed at an early age, I await my unicorn rainbow badge...

FFS