Agreed. I use “human” or “person,” which I think comes closest — they’re my dogs, I’m their person. But it’s not great.

But you can put them in a kennel. Last I heard, if I put my kids in a cage when guests come over, I’ll get a visit from CPS.

Also because we completely lack an adequate word to describe the role of pet carer. Owner and master are both gross and feel cold. They also don’t really convey the sense of responsibility you should have to your pet. It might not be as difficult as actual parenting but you are 100% responsible for your pet’s needs…

This is like the teens who have a baby so that someone will love them. Child, get a dog.

I always figured it came down to this: We don’t raise dogs to go out into the world and be functional, independent adults who contribute to society and lead lives of their own; the gig simply requires that we keep them happy and healthy in the present, and we get to do so almost entirely on our own terms. I think…

I live alone so I always have to bring my cat home when I visit my parents. I torture my mother by talking to my cat about “grandma.” “Go sit with grandma, sweet baby! She loves you so much!”

The weird assumption that stood out to me was the author’s apparent belief that people who have actual children never refer to their pets that way.

My best friend as a kid was a barn cat who came and went as she pleased, and as for her dinner- well, I’ll spare those details. The bond people can have with their animals is profound, and goes well beyond being able to control them.

Working together to Make Orange Great Again.

“Perpetual obedience”? Um, as this lady ever met a cat?

What most of those articles seem to have in common is that the authors sound like they really don’t like having children, so it offends them when others have it “easy” by just having pets and using parenthood language. If you sincerely enjoyed your children, you’d probably feel pity or at least be neutral about pet…

Thanks. I feel my feeling are more accepted now that you spoke out. My mum refused to include my dog in the Christmas list and to be called grandma. I felt awfully rejected. And she doesn’t want him to be around in the kitchen, can you imagine that? Poor Bertie, he can’t eat at the table, cannot wander freely around…

I’m not sure how someone could make that mistake, honestly. I own animals for multiple reasons, but one of them is that I most certainly don’t want kids. The difference is clear, in time, stress, expense, and many other reasons.

Yeah, I feel you. Who would want a human child when they could have a far superior, far cuter, puppy? But sometimes you don’t know that right away, and then you’re in it for 18 years, and the kid knows virtually no cute tricks, and takes forever to housebreak. And finding someone to board the kid when you want to go…

Whenever my mum visits my place she always tells my cat to ‘come say hello to grandma’. I love it!

My first thought was, sure, it’s twee, but who cares? But the article quickly makes that clear — the kind of parents who are deeply invested in believing that parenthood makes them a saint care about lesser beings claiming such a lofty title for themselves and crowding the parent pedestal. Which is both embarrassing…

My dog absolutely is my baby.

I had to get a special doula when I have birth to my cat, one who wouldn’t judge me for rolling the placenta up and smoking it in a joint.

And here I just learned about puppy pregnancy syndrome this week.