For thinking my neighbours should not be buying her dog birthday presents ?

[DewdropSnowdrop]

I love animals , I really do. I had a dog and one day I hope to have another, so it's not that I don't understand animals are part of a family. They are.

But yesterday was. my neighbours dogs birthday. She's put it on Facebook. The dog was given wrapped gifts. A toy and some edible treats, as far as I can see.

She has a family, so not child substitutes. She treats her dogs well and isn't short of money so it's not as if she's saving up.

She's always celebrated the dogs' birthdays, there's more than one!

But this must be unusual. What is the point?

We once had a birthday party for one of Dds Teddy bears we were having a family bbq anyway so got a sponge cake and candles and she dressed her Teddy up in a party dress. Admittedly we didn't buy any gifts but Dd did make it a card

The cats get a box of treats etc at Christmas and birthdays they're part of the family and children like to give, there's no harm in it

Wow. I bet you're fun at parties!

I do it my kids love it my dog loves it I may have even posted it on Facebook too 😂

How sad to even have these kind of thoughts op. Where's the joy

Don't project human emotions onto them? What does that even mean?

I give my cats gifts for their birthday and Christmas. It's fun for me and they usually have an extra tasty treat so they're happy.

Why are you so bothered anyway?

My cats each got a birthday shout out on national radio - plus a card and “gifts”. The dog would have too were she still with us. No issues and just part of loving and daft family (grown DC) fun - we didn't even have to remortgage to afford it either

You’re missing the point OP. No-one is expecting you to celebrate your pets birthday or join in with your neighbour celebrating hers. We’re just saying each to their own, live and let live, and stop being such a judgey fun sponge.

We've always bought our pets birthday and Christmas presents... as do the whole family. My MIL buys her dog birthday presents but not her son (their birthday is the same day BTW...). All my friends do this too! I always thought it was completely normal and everyone did it

If Covid has taught me anything its to celebrate anything and everything we can.

I will be thoroughly spoiling my dog next month when he turns 1!

Our little boy chocolate labbie size of a small donkey has a birthday presents, Christmas presents and a present for the day we adopted him. What's wrong with that.

is it a little wierd = yes
is it any of your business = no
is it any reason to be upset or post on mumsnet = no

like are you really the fun police telling others they cant have a laugh that hurts no one?

What is it with MN that people think that they have the right to say that someone should not be buying presents for her dog and other opinions on things that have nothing to do with them? Is she asking you to contribute, crowd-funding, robbing houses? For so many 'get a life' seems very appropriate.

Personally I find pet parties and making a fuss out of pet birthdays to be a bit weird, but then I think nothing of getting the dogs a new toy at Christmas. They get new toys every couple of months so why not give it at Christmas?

However it doesn't hurt anyone if people do and it's hardly wasteful unless they're doing silly wrapping so who cares.

@Averyyounggrandmaofsix

If it was good enough for Blue Peter it's good enough for me!

That was immediately what I thought of.

I get my dog birthday and Christmas presents and cards, AND she gets me and my family birthday and Christmas gifts and cards back. She’s part of the family!

I always get my dog Christmas and birthday presents, I get him stuff he needs, for Christmas they were wrapped up because they were toys, he absolutely loved ripping them open, I don’t do it because I think he enjoys the surprise, I do it because he bloody loves opening them, it’s cute, it gets him excited, why wouldn’t you do things for your dog if they enjoy it?