Counter point to the post about the same topic. It’s really stupid to say people can’t treat their animals as children. Everyone should be able to do whatever makes them happy. Many people can’t have children for various reasons, there should be no shame in treating your pets as children. I honestly want everyone to be happy. If that means you have children, hell yeah. If that means you want a bunch of cats, hell yeah. If that means you want an empty quiet home to come to, then more power to you. I noticed a lot of people really want to be “better” than others. It’s really showing a lack of empathy, and humanity. It’s true main character syndrome. If it doesn’t affect “ME”, then I don’t care type attitude. I get the whole point of the sub, don’t get me wrong. But a lot of these posts are just explaining how you are so selfish and it’s everyone else who is the problem. Maybe this can just be a reminder to be a little nicer today.
Edit: I do not mean literally like a child. Figuratively. I don’t expect anyone to talk sports with my cat.
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That’s fine.
It’s the “my pet is above human life” crowd that is usually being talked about.
For those who can’t have children, pets are definitely our children. Even for those who does have kids, pets are still our children. Our pets just like any other animal are living, breathing souls
I don’t care how you treat your pet and if they are a “child” to you. Just don’t expect people to treat your pet with the same respect they would a child.
I didn’t see the other post, but nobody’s saying you can’t TREAT pets like children. You sure can! But the reality is they ARE NOT human children and generally won’t be treated by anyone but you as such, or equally to human children.
I call my cats my kids all the time. Do I expect others to treat them like human children? Absolutely not.
Call your pets what you’d like! Say they’re your baby, your bro, your boss, etc.
However, as a parent, I’ve personally experienced people trying to equate their pet ownership to actual parenthood. It is ignorant and insulting.
It’s called Anthropomorphism.
Sadly, there’s a hierarchy in this world to make people feel better than others based on race, religion, gender, age, sexuality, socioeconomic background, couple/singles, married vs non-married, kids vs no kids etc etc …
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yea no….. pets are animals not children.
Isn’t posting an opposing opinion kinda defeating the purpose of this sub?
I mostly agree, only thing I’ll add is that quite literally treating animals as children often leads to behavioral problems because you aren’t respecting the animals needs. It often creates very stressed out and fearful animals.
I feel like this entire debate is mostly just people taking things out of context and running with it lol.
Very, very few people with pets legitimately think that keeping an animal is actually comparable to raising a child. Yes people will compare the two, but saying you have experience with dirty diapers after caring for an incontinent dog is a pretty far cry from thinking that dogs and cats need to be taught how to function in the world as a maturing human. They’re obviously very different and most people are well aware of that. Most people also know that even the diaper situation would be different but they’re trying to connect with you over a similar but different experience, not make a point about dogs being furry human babies.
But also, most people who say raising a kid is different from having pets aren’t saying you cant love your pets and spoil them and personify them a little.
It seems like a lot of arguing about semantics and and people reacting without thinking about things like “maybe this person is joking“ or “maybe this person knows that when they word things this way it gets certain people worked up”, or “maybe this person is taking things way too literally“, and you end up with people passionately arguing things that don’t really affect them or matter in the grand scheme of things.
Treat your animals however you choose. Idk who would be upset with that.
Now, claiming them to be similar to raising children is goofy as hell.
Yes. Not ok to expect other people to treat them as children, though, or take them nearly as seriously. I’ve had both pets and children, and there’s no contest about which is the heavier, more complex and meaningful relationship.
Our cat is a part of our family, the pack, he is not a child, he is a cat.
I’m going to take this literally, and I think it’s a very small percentage of people who treat their pets as if they were human children. The nuance is that usually someone gives their love and attention and frustrations to their pet as if it were a child. Just like how your love for your partner is different than your love for a parent or teacher, the love for a pet is different than a love for a child. It doesn’t diminish the love, but it’s different.
I agree on calling out the people who think one is better than the other. Those are some close minded people. Whether they think pets are better or children are better. I think this is a good reminder to be kind and don’t judge someone for a different lifestyle.
I give an upvote because I don’t think the OP opinion is a popular one. I almost downvoted because the tone was annoying lol
I have a human child and I still call my cats my children. I also call them his cat brothers.
Yep I’m at home with my cat 24/7 and she has more parental involvement and a better life than 99% of kids on this planet. That’s my baby and I’ll do anything for her, period.
People just tend to get WAY too upset over how other people choose to live their lives, lol.
I literally do not care if someone wants to call their dog their child. It does not impact me at all.
When we say “treat them as children” I get the feeling a lot of people assume it means treating them EXACTLY the same way you’d deal with a human child, they don’t understand that all it means is loving the pet as family and making sure they are loved, comfortable and safe always.
Like, we do know the pet isn’t a child, and it was never the point to pretend the dog or cat is human, it’s always been just about viewing them as family and being loving and kind to them.
I hate it when my bf’s mother calls her dog her baby. Because she also calls the dog “his brother”
I think it’s better to say that you can love your pet like it’s your child. Obviously, you don’t treat your pet that way as they have different needs than a human child, but you sure can love them as much.
I treat my pets extremely well but none of them are children. I love them more than I could ever possibly love children, and I’m glad they’re not children because having children would ruin my life. I was never cut out to be a parent, but being a caretaker to dependants of different species is something I choose gladly.
That being said…
If other people want to consider themselves “pet parents” of “fur babies” it holds no bearing whatsoever on my life. More power to them as long as the needs of the animals are being met.
Everyone should feel free to do as they please. It’s when pet owners correlate the two as if they’re remotely close they should get a side eye.
We don’t care that you treat them like your children. We care when you compare your dog to our child.
I’m a childfree person who calls my two cats “children” when I’m talking to them, but I’m not demanding that I be considered on the same level as a parent. Cats are FAR easier to take care of than a child. Which is why I have cats and not kids.
I strongly believe in treating animals as importantly as children, absolutely. So long as their animal needs are respected as well as that of children should someone have both
I think people that complain either don’t have the evolutionary intelligence to empathize with animals, or they are just annoyed with how people treat their children or animals. I can get the latter if it’s legit harmful.
Personally, I just find people who refer to themselves as “cat mom” or “dog dad” and then buy a bunch of merch about it a little much, but to each their own
This is not an unpopular opinion. At all.
Hey, kids are way harder than pets, but a lot of people treat their pets like shit, so-if you love your pet too much-I’m good wid it
100%. I would treat them like kids just don’t neglect or harm them.
I think it often adversely affects a pet’s life when they are not treated as a well-loved pet.
And in honesty in this economy who is having kids fr
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Are pet owners considered parents?
I don’t care either way, but my Sister In Law and Dad had a heated argument about it.
Nope. Sickos.
Its a slippery slope.My ex friend went so far and told me how she,just like me,was pregnant with her cat.By pregnant she meant she adopted it. That was hella insulting.
And that’s where we shall eventually end up if everything is the same and parents =pet owners. No you’re not.Its not even remotely the same
If you are not going to treat another life with the utmost respect that you expect, then you shouldn’t have a pet. You are supposed to train them so they know how to act, feed them, bathe them, make sure they’re healthy and taken care of, comfort them when they’re sad or scared, make sure they have entertainment So they can officially entertain themselves. It is basically like having a child except it doesn’t talk back and it doesn’t cost you nearly as much. If you are not going to treat your animals with compassion, love, empathy, you shouldn’t have them. Same goes for kids.
People can feel however they want about their pets. Just don’t bring them places where pets aren’t usually welcome – department stores, indoors at restaurants, grocery stores, etc. The only animals that belong there are licensed service animals. That is my only pet peeve (lmao).
r/petfree would like a word 😂
Honestly I treat my cats much better than how I would treat a child because my cats are extremely spoiled and get away with everything. I wouldn’t raise a child that way because they’re eventually going to become an adult and my cats will always be babies
There is nothing wrong with preferring pets to human children. Not everybody wants to deal with human children but have an enormous amount of love in their hearts to pour upon little FurKids.
I think to an extent is definitely fine (saying this as someone who owns cats). I love them dearly and to those close to me I refer to them as my children, but to strangers I don’t want to cause any confusion so they are just my cats. One thing I hate though is comparing a pets death to someone’s actual child dying, it’s not the same. I have lost cats and it hurts, a lot, but losing an actual kid is the worst thing out there.
I think the hate is mostly directed to people, that put their animals in clothes and give them unhealthy human food.