The rise of pet parents & furbabies

BeltedCoyote

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What you fail to understand is I also worry about people that think they can have a fulfilling emotional relationship with a turtle or a fish or a sea urchin. I don't think that is healthy. Yes you can have one with cats and dogs, large parrots and certain other animals. I do with my furry friends. But it not the same as being with someone or having kids and raising them. Good pets are more like a really good desert after you had a meal. You shouldnt just live on cake and ice cream.

no I agree with your worry 100%

but I also have met people who get fulfillment from providing such creature with the best care we overgrown apes can provide.

I agree that people who call their pets their “kids” but don’t have any business caring for them are a problem.

I just don’t agree that the issue is the nomenclature some use for their charges is the issue. It’s the care that matters. Not the verbiage. It’s a case of “well these people say this and are bad so therefore everyone who says or thinks the same thing is also bad”
 

Tonycass12

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Do you have an unhealthy attachment to your animals? Do you recognize that they are in fact animals and not children?

Do you celebrate your dogs birthday with a cake and candles for the dog?
We do celebrate birthdays, our black lab karma got her leg taken by cancer 1.5 yrs ago. They told us she wouldn't make it a year. Time is important to us and she's still going strong. I still don't see whats wrong with that, I know my dogs just see food and were having fun. Im not sure where you could define unhealthy. I don't hand feed my dogs I still take them hunting they are some pretty close companions
 
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As someone who owned turtles before saltwater, I can say I’m not surprised.

This has been my first venture outside fish & amphibians. It's been eye opening to say the least lol. I couldn't believe I was having a conversation about treating a tortoise like tortoise instead of a human child. Much less people backing them. Of course the shell was so deformed the animal could barely move it back legs.
 

BeltedCoyote

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So the actual issue here is actual poor husbandry with a focus on reptile keepers. But because a few bad eggs in that group use the same phrases those of us who adore our dogs and cats, we’re also absurd and a problem?
 
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Tamberav

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I was bored and watched that documentary on creative grooming awhile ago and it was pretty bizarre.

bm_dog_01479570_bs_0000000002776884.jpg


I am guessing some dogs might like the attention but I saw pics done to cats too and they don't look happy at all. Cats also groom themselves and this seemed to cross a line... like this is probably stressful.

f0385dd8333afe4643708800a55311b7.jpg




I did however take non toxic child markers when I was a kid and color my white horses/pony's mane to look like a my little pony (which would wash right out from the rain since they were those washable markers). The horse loved it as he was getting groomed and all sorts of attention. Hey, I was a young kid though :) and kids can ride rainbow pony's and not get odd looks.
 
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I think people get touchy because they use the same verbiage. If you take care of your pet/companion like the animal it is this isn't about you. I think the little titles are funny, but who cares.

What I've seen is an alarming trend of what I consider borderline mentally ill people that actually treat their pets like a human child at the cost of the well being of the animal. Yet are praised for being such good parents. This plush abuse is normalized, because they use these same titles. At some point in their psyche they reached a tipping point from figurative to literal.

Think taking your fish out of the tank & putting it in a fish bowl to have dinner with it....or take a car ride, go in the store, etc. I wish that was an exaggeration.

Now where it bothers me is the censorship on certain platforms & certain laws that keep trying to pop up based on this rationale.
 
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Tamberav

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I think people get touchy because they use the same verbiage. If you take care of your pet/companion like the animal it is this isn't about you. I think the little titles are funny, but who cares.

What I've seen is an alarming trend of what I consider borderline mentally ill people that actually treat their pets like a human child at the cost of the well being of the animal. Yet are praised for being such good parents. This plush abuse is normalized, because they use these same titles. At some point in their psyche they reached a tipping point from figurative to literal.

Think taking your fish out of the tank & putting it in a fish bowl to have dinner with it....or take a car ride, go in the store, etc. I wish that was an exaggeration.

Now where it bothers me is the censorship on certain platforms & certain laws that keep trying to pop up based on this rationale.

Lots of people in this hobby who lose fish because they didn't do their research or decided to give it a try anyway. Most of us are probably guilty.

Think of all the mandarin dragonettes, twin spot gobys, catalina gobies, starfish and so on that probably met their end.
 
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So the actual issue here is actual poor husbandry with a focus on reptile keepers. But because a few bad eggs in that group use the same phrases those of us who adore our dogs and cats, we’re also absurd and a problem?

Idk you may be absurd & a problem. You tell me lol. If you haven't experienced this consider yourself lucky.

This started roughly 2 months ago with me. Terribly behaved animals in a bunch of inappropriate places. Then I went to a party at a coworkers house. He said it might get weird, but there were a table full of dogs, birds, & reptiles eating people food. When they finished the dogs stood on our table & started eating food from plates. I swatted one off & was promptly chewed out. I saw a lady change a dog diaper in home depot since they've relaxed these no pets allowed signs. Then the whole tortoise mom happy fathers day to the animal dads thing in groups....I'm like what the heck is going on.
 

BeltedCoyote

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Idk you may be absurd & a problem. You tell me lol. If you haven't experienced this consider yourself lucky.

This started roughly 2 months ago with me. Terribly behaved animals in a bunch of inappropriate places. Then I went to a party at a coworkers house. He said it might get weird, but there were a table full of dogs, birds, & reptiles eating people food. When they finished the dogs stood on our table & started eating food from plates. I swatted one off & was promptly chewed out. I saw a lady change a dog diaper in home depot since they've relaxed these no pets allowed signs. Then the whole tortoise mom happy fathers day to the animal dads thing in groups....I'm like what the heck is going on.

I utilize my experience within my profession of AbA to train my dogs. I research the best options to meet optimum dietary needs to promote health and prevent health issues down the road. I also understand the psychology of dogs and how much they depend on humans for fulfillment. I could go in to that but I don’t think that’s anything but a detail.

I understand what your concern is.
 
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BeltedCoyote

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And I have experienced this. But I’m not coming down on every dog owner because there are people out there who have no business having another organism dependent on them. I just go after the bad eggs

I’d say let’s go after the individuals clearly showing signs they’d kill a pet rock let alone their reptile, dog, cat, bird, etc. and not focus on what they call themselves.
 
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DeniseAndy

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Okay, some of that seems a bit overboard. I mean, just wow.

I bring my dogs to home depot and anywhere I can, but not that is for socialization and stimulation. Depends on dog. My current one gets too stressed, so he stays home. :)
 

BeltedCoyote

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I may be taking the verbiage portion of this too seriously OP, and I apologize.
 

Grumblez

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I think like others said problem is we are talking about 2 different things. People with possibly unhealthy attachments to animals, and people who have possibly unhealthy attachments to an animal(s) and willfully or ignorantly don't take care of them properly.

I love my dogs, my wife has what I would consider a slightly unhealthy attachment to our dog's. It's an inconvenience especially because one has anxiety to the point we can't really take it on vacations. But people form unhealthy attachments to lots of things, a dog or cat is probably the best outlet for an unhealthy attachment lol. As long as they are properly cared for and not some hoarders 50 cats ****.

While my dogs don't have any sheep to herd they do get a balanced diet, veterinary care, and almost daily trips to the dog park until our fence is installed.

Screenshot_20210622-170541_Instagram.jpg Screenshot_20210622-170553_Instagram.jpg
He was meant to be a dog model, unfortunately The easy care free older dog
any changes to his routine is met with some bad
anxiety. Even just walking a new hiking trail hes not
familiar with.
 
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WVNed

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I think the point was some people expect their personal relationships with their pets want to be accepted as equal to that of a parent and child. It isnt. It seems from this thread the people that think that don't have kids.
As a parent I can assure you it isn't. I have had many pets put to sleep. Would you do that with your child? Have one or 3 and than answer that.

The fact is many people have better relationships with their pet's than many parents have with their kids.

Meh, the world is a complex place.
 

BeltedCoyote

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I think the point was some people expect their personal relationships with their pets want to be accepted as equal to that of a parent and child. It isnt. It seems from this thread the people that think that don't have kids.
As a parent I can assure you it isn't. I have had many pets put to sleep. Would you do that with your child? Have one or 3 and than answer that.

The fact is many people have better relationships with their pet's than many parents have with their kids.

Meh, the world is a complex place.

if that’s truly the point I agree it’s a problem. And yeah, I don’t think my relationship with my dog is the same as I have with my stepdaughter.

that said I do value the relationship I have with my canine. If for no other reason that it’s mind blowing to me that two completely unrelated species can form such a bond and understand eachother to the degree we do.

I over reacted. I admit that. But as someone who has had dogs be a more secure part of my life than family, I can’t get behind the idea that people who turn to animals as a form of solace are an issue if they take care of said animals.

I’ll be real. I don’t like most people. I’ve been burned many times. Haven’t been burned by dogs. Yeah they’re not people. And it doesn’t replace people. But it helps when you have no where to go, and your family throws you out in the dark.

and I truly believe we, as a species, could learn a lot if we took the time to try and interface with the other residents of this mudball we call home.

we’re animals too after all. We have a higher opinion of ourselves. And yeah, we can put together some cool toys for a bunch of bipedal hairless monkeys. But yeah.
 

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I have had many pets put to sleep. Would you do that with your child? Have one or 3 and than answer that.

The fact is many people have better relationships with their pet's than many parents have with their kids.

Meh, the world is a complex place.
This thread is heartbreaking, after reading this question. You don't want to know the answer to this. There's some sickness out there.
 

Grumblez

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I think the point was some people expect their personal relationships with their pets want to be accepted as equal to that of a parent and child. It isnt. It seems from this thread the people that think that don't have kids.
As a parent I can assure you it isn't. I have had many pets put to sleep. Would you do that with your child? Have one or 3 and than answer that.

The fact is many people have better relationships with their pet's than many parents have with their kids.

Meh, the world is a complex place.

Whether or not euthanasia should ever be considered for humans is a whole different can of worms but I understand your point.

In America pets have definitely gone from a hobby or tool towards treated as/seen as family members. Thinking a pet is equal to a human child is unhealthy, but with some exceptions is generally harmless (to other people).

We lightheartedly celebrate dog/cat/fish mom/dad day, however it might be difficult to discern its not something we take seriously if seen on a internet post.
 

hart24601

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I am a recent father last year and I am furious about the pet parents stealing my Father’s Day!

Wait a second, that’s nonsense of course . I really don’t care. I of course want animals treated properly and aside from that I’m perfectly happy with them being fur parents, I was pretty shocked to see someone offended by it.
 

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I don't mind pet parents. But with all things, extremist and radicals ruin it for everyone. Few (FEW, not many or all or a lot) pet parents hate human child parents and call them breeders. Than you have hoarders..
Have your pet a birthday. I don't care.
The things i have seen and heard though, it's on a radical scale of insanity.

But, when are we going to talk about american cheese and what makes it "plastic"?
 

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