Pet owners referring to each other as mummy and daddy

[Perfidy]

We’ve got an adorable scruff of a puppy. First time dog owners as adults, had cats before. Dh has grown up kids and the dog Is to help with a bit of empty nest.

I’m finding the being referred to as ‘mummy’ by dh, as in go find mummy she’s got your dinner’ a tiny bit cringey. What to do instead....or just get over myself!

If you don’t say Mum/Dad, what do you say instead?

Or c) we have selectively bred dogs over thousands of years to have physical features that instinctly tap into our biological parental response, triggering things like oxytocin

I remember discussing exercise with my GP and mentioning that I had recently got a dog so hopefully that would increase. He just looked up and said dogs bring so many more benefits for health than just exercise and I think he was spot on. Having a dog has certainly made lockdown less stressful.

We do call each other mum or dad to the pets. It is weird as it just happened. I don't really care what people think as after 10 years of infertility they are the only 'children' I will ever have. If someone commented on it knowing that then I would think it said more about them than me tbh

I didn't used to. However, since getting pregnant and realising that no matter what words we choose to use for mother and father, strangers will probably refer to my husband as "daddy", I started trying to refer to him as daddy to the cat. I needed to change the word from being a negative to a positive and stop the flashbacks the word gives me. This is because my father was highly abusive when I was a teenager and on multiple occasions strangled me or repeatedly threw me into the back of a door covered in metal bolts whilst screaming at me to call him daddy (rather than dad). it's slowly working and with three months left until baby is born I'm hopeful that I can refer to my husband as daddy (of a human!) and hear other people refer to him in that way without it inducing flashbacks!

I’m Mum to my dogs.

Don’t care what people think.

If you don’t say Mum/Dad, what do you say instead?

Nothing, I talk to the pets but don't refer to other people as if they can understand me.

They're part of our family but pet parts, not children or siblings.

I think this is where the distinction lies. I love our animals and am heartbroken if anything happens to them but not on the same level as I would be if anything happened to one of our family.

I just roll my eyes and think "you're a dick" and those who treat them as a family member with cards etc, are also dicks.
But each to their own, maybe something I do makes others think I'm a dick.

Of course I’m mummy and DH is daddy, what else would we be known as. Our actual names would sound too formal

@Devlesco

maybe something I do makes others think I'm a dick

I’d say that’s a given

It just seems a bit over invested to me.
My pets are certainly not as important to me as my children!

I hate it. I've managed to live with cats and dogs for over sixty years without being referred to, or referring to myself as their sister/mummy.

If a vet called me my cat's mum I'd find it really weird.

We are our dog's parents - don't really matter what other people call themselves. If you find it a bit cringey just use your names.

We are mummy and daddy to the dog. Dog knows the meaning of those words and responds to them. You can tell him daddy is coming home and he goes to the door to greet him. The dog also knows the kids' names.

You’re not the parents, you’re the owner. To responsibly train you have to make that difference.

🤣🤣🤣 my dog doing advanced obedience begs to differ. She loves her mummy.

I’m trying to imagine telling the dog “Go to Mr Missy he has your dinner”
Of course I say Daddy what else am I going to say?

We refer to each other as mum and dad when talking to the dog. He knows what the words mean and gets very excited when you say "where's dad?"

My mum refers to him as her "granddog" and buys him better Christmas presents than us

She loves her mummy.

Catsrus I don’t doubt that she did. She probably misses living with her too.

But that’s the nature of owning animals; you can’t keep all the family. So your dog will just have to miss her mum and make do with you, her owner.

We are mummy and daddy here too. In fact we have nanny and grandad too!!

We are mum and dad to our dogs. I don't like mummy and daddy.

My parents send our dogs birthday and Christmas cards signed "from Nanny and Grandad".

I also refer to their dog sitter as Auntie. I tell them they are going to stay with Auntie Jean and they actually get excited.

I'm mum to my whole assortment of animals . The dogs know the command go to mum/dad

This thread is adorable and has warmed the cockles of my cold dead heart. ❤️

when she misbehaves I always ask her "why do you want to upset your mother?" Bonkers, I know
Then I too am bonkers. I spend a lot of time only with my dogs and I'm often saying stuff like, behave for your mamma. No, mamma says you cant or alternatively daddy says no.
Happy to be bonkers. They are a part of the family. I got them as pets not workers. They should be treated as family members to my mind.

I don't use fur baby but I am Mama to the dog haha. For example I say I kiss his head and say "love you mama's boy" and I don't care if that makes me sound crazy. DH would never call himself the dogs Dad though, he thinks I'm nuts! My dog saved my life when I was bed bound with anxiety and depression at only 22 and I will forever be grateful for hi .

And it's so sweet that he knows all our names...we ask him to go find Daddy or Mummy or ds or dd and always amazed that he knows exactly who we are talking about - we all hide from him - it just never stops amusing us - oh the simple pleasure with a pet - he brings out the child in us.

We were always just mum and dad to our daughter , mind you I do get a mummy text when she wants something.
But to darling dog we are mummy and daddy, not sure why it just sounds better .
When I say where's Daddy to darling dog he will hunt the house for my husband. Love him so much ❤️