To think pet owners should stop calling themselves “dog mums” and “cat dads?”

[TheDeftAquaViewer]

It just feels a bit much when people treat their pets as if they’re children. AIBU to think this trend has gone a bit too far?

Meh. I have kids and I have pets. I tell my dog to listen to her sister (my DD). I don't refer to myself as 'dog mum' but I've been called that by the vet as in 'here I'll hand you back to mum now' (to one of my cats).
I don't spoil them or treat them like 'babies' at all.

@TheDeftAquaViewer I think you might be friends with @TheFluentGoldNewt

I confess I dislike the use of cat mum and dad and I hate the word 'furbaby', so don't use the terms myself, but each to their own.
Doesn't stop me talking to the cats like an idiot though 🤣.

My dog is my baby boy, sorry op!

None of your business what other people call themselves. II would focus on your own life if I were you and then you won't have time to dwell on what doesn't concern you or start silly posts about it.

I'm my dogs mummy. I have kids but sadly they grew up and flew the nest, but I'm quite happy being my dog's mummy.

DH is Uncle DH to the cat that comes around to ours for treats. What else is he supposed to be? Mr DH?

On the other hand our late cat was pretty much an alligator covered in fur and if anyone had suggested she was related to us by blood she would have ripped their faces clean off their skulls.

I dearly loved that swampcat though.

Difficult one for me as my our Malinois one day called me Mama and has done ever since! It's very distinct and he's definitely saying Mama!

Yes, it’s ridiculous.
Furbabies this and furbabies that!

It is anthropomorphising animals and dehumanising children. Deeply sinister blurring of the lines of species demarcation oddly reminiscent of the fashion for androgyny and all things trans.

I can’t abide it.

Spot on! I totally agree. It feels like a strange trend that just doesn’t sit right with me either.

Personally I think it’s a particular manifestation of the Zeitgeist of transhumanism / transsexualism.

Some of us instinctively feel that something isn’t right with it, but can’t quite put our finger on what that is. I believe that nebulous quality is indicative that we are dealing with a spirit.

FFS it has nothing to do with trans etc. I have a DC and a dog. If I want Dog to go and see DH I will say go see Daddy. It's pet / nickname. I know the difference between my child and a dog. I am not dehumanising my child.

But clearly that is only one opinion.

I’ve noticed that more people have been getting dogs rather than having children, or have been getting dogs to “complete the family”. I find it slightly strange to refer to pets as children. I worry about when the pets get old, are they going to be neglected because they are old and no longer the babies? I’m not talking about people who have had dogs for years, more the swathes of people who got them post pandemic. When I was growing up lots of family friends had dogs - it didn’t seem to be a big deal and it just involved a couple of walks a day. Now they seem to be incredibly pampered, although the dogs themselves seem pretty cool and just happy to have someone to play with, they don’t need to be spoken to like they are actual human beings, which I’ve observed.

I don’t like the current trend of anthropomorphising animals in general as I feel like it tends to lead to their needs being misread and them being mistreated even though their owners do have good intentions.

Fuck me, I hope you stretched before making that reach.

Yanbu and why where at it I don't want to see constant photos of all your pets and stop putting them in pushchairs you look ridiculous

WTAF?! 😁 How did trans come into this?!

@TheDeftAquaViewer OP YABVU.

Sincerely

A furbaby mama. 😄

In what way could this possibly make any difference to your life whatsoever?!

It doesn't bother me when people do it about themselves but I don't enjoy it when they do it to me. 'How are your furr babies? The cats? They are fine.'

Then you probably wouldn't like my t-shirt 'Children are for people who can't have ferrets'.

🤣🤣🤣

Oh bore off, you are talking shite. I am a dog and cat mum and I give no fucks!

This is, quite frankly, ridiculous.

I shout out "Mum's home" to the cats when I get out of the car and they come running. I don't see how it affects you or anyone else.

I love to ask my dogs “where’s daddy?” and see them run around like loonies looking for beloved daddy. Harmless fun that makes us smile.