What is your attitude towards your pets?

swhite2012

So FI took our kitty to the vet yesterday. I couldn't go because I had class. It was to check on some weird spots in his mouth. Neither of us have ever had cats, we just wanted to make sure everything was ok. I was talking to my friend about how I was a little worried because I went Google happy. She said don't worry about it, it's not a big deal. I told her that of  course I was worried, he's my baby. She says "Swhite, it's just a cat!".

So my question is what do you consider your pets? Children? Just pets? Companions? I was raised in a family where our pets were always our family, so I don't think of him as "just a cat". So how about you ladies?

lunarsongbird

Here is some insight on my attitude...

A few weeks ago, I spent 15 dollars to save a 2 dollar betta fish.
The night before- I woke up at 3 AM so bothered that the fish needed it's water changed- that I got up and did it....at 3 AM.

And that's just my fish....not to mention our kitties and doggie!

GoldenPenguin

I ditto Liv, 100%.

Beads921

Our cats are our girls. They're our kids. As Liv said, I feel solely responsible for loving and nurturing them and ensurin they have a happy, healthy life. I get very worried about them when something could be wrong, and I miss them when they're not around.

That said, if it was a real child, I'd go to the end of the earth to fix any medical problem he or she may have. I won't do that for my cats. It gets to a point when the bills are just too much. I love them, but I won't go into great debt for them.

Swazzle

Are they black specks in his mouth?  My orange cat has those. I was so freaked out when I first saw them but I looked it up & apparently most orange cats get them. Weird, huh?

Bailey, Hailey, & Lucy are my babies.  They are most definitely considered part of my family & not "just a cat" or dog.  When Hurricane Irene hit us & we considered evacuating, FI's dad told us we could stay with him & bring Lucy (dog).  My first response was something along the lines of thanks but no thanks, I'm not leaving my other 2 kids behind. If I leave, they come with me! 

tuarceatha

I don't have any pets yet, but I come from a family that says things like "It's just a dog."

I actually feel a lot of guilt for the way my family's dog is treated. She is a terrier that needs grooming that is a bit of a hassle. Apparently dog salons won't do it? She has hair that needs to be pulled out, as I understand it. Anyway, with all that's been going on with my parents, the poor dog looks scruffier than ever. When she was at the kennel while my mom was out of town, they shaved her underside. Including her beard. She looks so weird without that furry chin.

I comment all the time about her looking/seeming neglected to my mom and sister. And they always get defensive and claim she's just a dog.

I'm no more attentive to pets then they are, which is why I won't go get a pet myself. FI will likely want cats in the near future, but I know he will be really attentive to our pets and I can take a comfortable back seat to the pet care.

csousa1

I see pets as pets. They are definitely part of the family....as pets. I have loved every pet I have ever had, and taken good care of them, and they have all meant a great deal to me. But they are still animals - they are not human beings. They were not AS important to me as my human family members.

People who treat their pets LITERALLY like other people bother me. I knew one girl who made her husband turn off a movie he was really excited to watch, in his own living room, on the giant TV he had purchased, because she thought some of the images were bothering the dog. When he asked her if the dog could maybe be moved to another room, she said, all pissed off, "Are you kidding me? She likes it in here. You go watch the movie in the bedroom."

I saw this with my own eyes.

I'm not talking about people who let their pets sleep in bed with them and snuggle on the couch with them and Google what might be wrong with them (I myself am guilty of all of the above) - little "human" treatments like that are each pet owner's prerogative and I think it's sweet. But when you put the feelings of an animal over that of a person, it can be a bit wackadoo.

Either way, your friend shouldn't have said, "It's just a cat." It doesn't matter if it's a rat baby you found in the street and turned into your pet, if you love it, you love it. No one should belittle your feelings.

swhite2012

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_not-engaged-yet_attitude-towards-pets?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special%20Topic%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:136Discussion:0f81ee92-2404-42f7-8d09-d861fe40600aPost:8ed31251-412f-4a21-8adf-792b3edf72a0">Re: What is your attitude towards your pets?</a>:
[QUOTE]<strong>Are they black specks in his mouth?</strong>  My orange cat has those. I was so freaked out when I first saw them but I looked it up & apparently most orange cats get them. Weird, huh? Bailey, Hailey, & Lucy are my babies.  They are most definitely considered part of my family & not "just a cat" or dog.  When Hurricane Irene hit us & we considered evacuating, FI's dad told us we could stay with him & bring Lucy (dog).  My first response was something along the lines of thanks but no thanks, I'm not leaving my other 2 kids behind. If I leave, they come with me! 
Posted by rdr716[/QUOTE]

<div>They are two large brown semi-raised spots. I looked it up and I found that it's common in orange cats, but Myles is a brown tabby and it didn't say anything about that. And then of course I got into the page about how oral cancer is common in cats and started worrying. But it's all good. It's normal. The vet just said he's getting a little fat so we have to put him on a diet =)</div>

bethsmiles

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_not-engaged-yet_attitude-towards-pets?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special%20Topic%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:136Discussion:0f81ee92-2404-42f7-8d09-d861fe40600aPost:a3b8c2df-d1c4-49d9-b5e6-5205cc8860ee">Re: What is your attitude towards your pets?</a>:
[QUOTE]<strong>I don't have any pets yet, but I come from a family that says things like "It's just a dog." </strong>I actually feel a lot of guilt for the way my family's dog is treated. She is a terrier that needs grooming that is a bit of a hassle. Apparently dog salons won't do it? She has hair that needs to be pulled out, as I understand it. Anyway, with all that's been going on with my parents, the poor dog looks scruffier than ever. When she was at the kennel while my mom was out of town, they shaved her underside. Including her beard. She looks so weird without that furry chin. I comment all the time about her looking/seeming neglected to my mom and sister. And they always get defensive and claim she's just a dog. I'm no more attentive to pets then they are, which is why I won't go get a pet myself. FI will likely want cats in the near future, but I know he will be really attentive to our pets and I can take a comfortable back seat to the pet care.
Posted by jenjenniferf[/QUOTE]

My family is like that too. I don't think my family treats our dogs badly, they are well-taken care of and spoiled for sure but it's not the same as other people I know.

CCO2012

My puppies are my babies. I spoil them rotten and I literally have trouble sleeping if they aren't cuddled with me. I think even when I have kids the dogs will still be my babies too.

csousa1

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_not-engaged-yet_attitude-towards-pets?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special Topic Wedding BoardsForum:136Discussion:0f81ee92-2404-42f7-8d09-d861fe40600aPost:8ed31251-412f-4a21-8adf-792b3edf72a0">Re: What is your attitude towards your pets?</a>:
[QUOTE]Are they black specks in his mouth?  My orange cat has those. I was so freaked out when I first saw them but I looked it up & apparently most orange cats get them. Weird, huh? Bailey, Hailey, & Lucy are my babies.  They are most definitely considered part of my family & not "just a cat" or dog.  When Hurricane Irene hit us & we considered evacuating, FI's dad told us we could stay with him & bring Lucy (dog).  My first response was something along the lines of thanks but no thanks, I'm not leaving my other 2 kids behind. If I leave, they come with me! 
Posted by rdr716[/QUOTE]

Why only Lucy?? I agree with that, I would never leave Kali behind if we had to evacuate.

polkadot111

I held my dying rat for hours sobbing. FI didn't know what to do with me. I was curled up in a little ball on the bathroom floor holding my dying rat pouring tears.  It was a RAT. Sometimes I wonder if I love my pets more than some people.

[Deleted User]

our little dog is our child.  of course, if worse came to worse we wouldn't blow our emergency life savings or anything to save her (if she needed an expensive procedure or something that we just could NOT afford), but we would do everything reasonably possible to take care of her.  I love her to pieces, and so does DH!

motoLyn

I treat my puppy as a family member, but not as another human being.  If Maus needs medical care then she gets medical care.  I even pay pet insurance for her.  Weimaraners are known to be an expensive breed due to their health but I would pay all that I can to keep maus healthy, but if the day came where I knew that it was time to let her go I would instead of chasing an expensive cure that may or may not save her. 

Maus doesn't get people food, or rights to sleep on our bed or couch.  So in essence she still if our dog but a well beloved and spoiled one. 

Swazzle

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_not-engaged-yet_attitude-towards-pets?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special%20Topic%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:136Discussion:0f81ee92-2404-42f7-8d09-d861fe40600aPost:db185e57-01c5-4268-8a9b-60e63b7652eb">Re: What is your attitude towards your pets?</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: What is your attitude towards your pets? : Why only Lucy?? I agree with that, I would never leave Kali behind if we had to evacuate.
Posted by csousa1[/QUOTE]

<div>He's not really a cat person. Plus he has a golden retriever, Sam, (who is the most psychotic dog I've ever met by the way) & I don't think he's ever met cats before.</div><div>
</div><div>Speaking of spoiling pets wayyyy over the top (your story was insane, I can't believe people like that exist), FI's step dad spoils Sam horribly.  He'll go out to grab something to eat & order a separate meal for the dog.  As in at McDonald's, he'll order 2 burgers: 1 for himself & 1 for Sam.  The dog is the worst beggar EVER.  He barks at you the entire time you're eating in that house.  It's so annoying & I actually have refused to go there & eat inside if the dog is inside also for that reason.  It's seriously unbearable.</div>

csousa1

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_not-engaged-yet_attitude-towards-pets?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special Topic Wedding BoardsForum:136Discussion:0f81ee92-2404-42f7-8d09-d861fe40600aPost:ecf10926-715a-4ed6-87c7-190802435ba7">Re: What is your attitude towards your pets?</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: What is your attitude towards your pets? : He's not really a cat person. Plus he has a golden retriever, Sam, (who is the most psychotic dog I've ever met by the way) & I don't think he's ever met cats before. Speaking of spoiling pets wayyyy over the top (your story was insane, I can't believe people like that exist), FI's step dad spoils Sam horribly.  He'll go out to grab something to eat & order a separate meal for the dog.  As in at McDonald's, he'll order 2 burgers: 1 for himself & 1 for Sam.  The dog is the worst beggar EVER.  He barks at you the entire time you're eating in that house.  It's so annoying & I actually have refused to go there & eat inside if the dog is inside also for that reason.  It's seriously unbearable.
Posted by rdr716[/QUOTE]


Yea, that's more of the kind of thing I'm talking about. Especially in instances where it makes the animal an a$$hole that no one can stand. That isn't even fair to the animal at that point.

Although, now that I think of it, I can't stand parents that do that to their kids either. Spoiling them to the point of turning them into jerks is mistreatment, IMO.

[Deleted User]

These are my babies and nobody better mess with them!

csousa1

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_not-engaged-yet_attitude-towards-pets?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special Topic Wedding BoardsForum:136Discussion:0f81ee92-2404-42f7-8d09-d861fe40600aPost:568e1df4-79c1-4c2a-9eb4-bd901e021a11">Re: What is your attitude towards your pets?</a>:
[QUOTE]Here is some insight on my attitude... A few weeks ago, I spent 15 dollars to save a 2 dollar betta fish. The night before- I woke up at 3 AM so bothered that the fish needed it's water changed- that I got up and did it....at 3 AM. And that's just my fish....not to mention our kitties and doggie!
Posted by lunarsongbird[/QUOTE]

That's funny - I was woken up by pet worries last night too.
 
My sister's cats lived with us when they lived here, and I fell madly in love with them as my own pets. I missed them terribly when my sister moved out. Last night I had a dream that they were back in the house, and one of her cats was wrestling with my dog and got hurt pretty badly. In the dream we were about to rush him to the animal hospital, and then I woke up.

When I woke up this morning I was DISTRAUGHT. I almost called my sister on my way in to work just to make sure Smokey was okay. The only thing that stopped me was that she was already at work.

sparkles88

I sort of treat my cats like my children, but I don't go overboard as some posters mentioned. I try to feed them high quality food, and I enjoy going to Petsmart to buy them new toys. I let them sleep on the bed, but they're not allowed to have total control in the house. I spray them with a squirt bottle if they jump on things like the counters and tables or if they scratch the furniture. I miss them terribly whenever I go on vacation.

 I will provide for any medical expenses to the best of my ability, because I made a commitment to do that when I got my kitties. However, if my cat became sick with something that was life threatening and providing treatment could not guarantee a recovery, I would probably ask that he be put to sleep. I would feel awful about it, but I also would not want to see him suffer for longer than he had to.

Elle1036

I don't treat my pets like kids in that I don't hire babysitters when I'm gone for a few hours and I don't dress them up (usually). Emotionally, though, they're my children. I nearly failed out of college the semester that my cat died of feline leukemia. I'm still not over that, and it was almost 5 years ago.

PaigeMcC

I'm slightly obsessed with my pugs.  They are our children.  FBD's grandparents call them the Grandpugs.  Anyone who is my FB friend or follows my twitter (and yes, my sn has to do with my dogs) knows my SLIGHT obsession.

Yeah, we're those people.

leia1979

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_not-engaged-yet_attitude-towards-pets?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special%20Topic%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:136Discussion:0f81ee92-2404-42f7-8d09-d861fe40600aPost:394188ab-f3c6-470c-9da3-c19c10330522">What is your attitude towards your pets?</a>:
[QUOTE]So FI took our kitty to the vet yesterday. I couldn't go because I had class. It was to check on some weird spots in his mouth. Neither of us have ever had cats, we just wanted to make sure everything was ok. I was talking to my friend about how I was a little worried because I went Google happy. She said don't worry about it, it's not a big deal. I told her that of  course I was worried, he's my baby. <strong>She says "Swhite, it's just a cat!".</strong> So my question is what do you consider your pets? Children? Just pets? Companions? I was raised in a family where our pets were always our family, so I don't think of him as "just a cat". So how about you ladies?
Posted by swhite2012[/QUOTE]

I think if any of my friends said that to me, they wouldn't be my friends anymore. It would also mean they really didn't understand me.

I don't treat pets like humans, but they are family. I spent $1200 for my cat to have a bladder stone removed. She was six years old at the time and otherwise healthy, so it was definitely worth the expense. She's still just fine three years later.

My dad is kind of a gruff person, so it was hilarious that he was so worried about leaving the dog outside for 24 hours for my wedding. She's definitely a spoiled elderly dog, but my mom and I both knew she would be just fine, though bored.

dwest2201

I think of pets as an extension of the family, I love them, but not nearly as much as a person.  I had a cat for years that I became severely allergic to (my allergies were mild when I first got her).  I refused to take her to a shelter, except one no kill cat only shelter.  Said shelter was at capacity though, I called every day for 3 weeks.  I looked and looked until I found someone to take her in.  My aunt finally convinced her husband and now I can even take my son and visit her! 

I don't have any pets currently, but BF calls me "mommy" when he's talking to his pit bull mix about missing me, going to the other room to get me, etc.  She loves me more than him, for real, he and his whole family point it out, it's kind of funny.  She is well loved and very spoiled, but she is a dog, not a person. 

She doesn't sleep in the bed, rarely allowed on the couch, i.e. if she's scared because of storm warning sirens, or is sick then she can.  She doesn't go everywhere with him/us or have outfits or anything.  She is not allowed to beg at all.

She does have an extra large dog bed, a huge pile of toys and bones, and multiple kinds of "treats", for variety.  She gets an ice cube almost everytime we open the fridge or freezer...it's just water, but she loves it!  Occasionally she'll get a scrap of people food, but it's rare.  In the garage (which is converted into a bar) she is allowed on the stools and the old couch out there.

Here's a pic of her sitting in the bar stool...



BF and I feel similarly about pets, we believe in taking them to the vet regularly, giving them preventative meds and meds when they get sick.  His dog has bad skin allergies so she has rx spray, rx ear drops, and special shampoo from the vet.  She also takes Benadryl regularly.  We agree that if a pet broke a leg or something and needed it fixed we would spend up to a few hundred dollars, but if a pet came down with cancer or something that was very expensive that we would not be able to afford it.  We would give them as much care as we could afford and love them to their death, unless putting them down would be better (if in a lot of pain/no quality of life) for them. 

bsidebella

My dogs were always treated like family. My mother referred to them as her "four-legged children". When she was having trouble finding an apartment because she had dogs, my uncle suggested to her that she just have them put down to save her the trouble. I've never in my life seen her so horrified - "These aren't just animals, these are my babies!" she said.

I am definitely having separation anxiety about my dogs. I miss them so, so much

Dickens the bunny is also our little furbaby. He sits in bed and on the couch with us. FI calls him the therapy bunny because after a rough day, nothing helps us more than cuddling and petting him.

Peaseblossom55

My cats bailey and cosmo are my pets.  They can be annoying at times, but they are treated very well.  I wouldn't get into major debt for any life saving operation, but they are only 4 and are fine.  I don't treat them like my kids , or over the importance of people either.

doubleSS07

I always had multiple pets growing up and so I definitely think of my pets as family.  I had a bird for 13 years and I was devestated when she died suddenly last year, although I think BF was even more upset and he'd only lived with her for a year.  Our new baby Dexter (siamese cat) is definitely spoiled, gets lots of love and treats and has full access to the house (except up by daddy's TV).  he doesn't get people food but he does get good quality food and he gets to see the vet for regular visits.

I am of the same mindset of some PP's in that if he needed medical care I would definitely get it but if it were to the point that we would end up strapped or there were no guarantees treatment would help I'd probably choose to have him home unitl there was no longer a quality of life and let him go.  

I would never think of my pet as "just a ____" but I also would never buy my dog a stroller and take it to the mall...I don't get those people!  That's where I say it's a dog and dogs don't belong in Bloomingdale's (yes I saw 3 dogs in Bloomingdale's). 

zipis1

Well this I'm sure will be a major surprise to people

My pets are my children. My life. I'll do everything in my power for them, as evidenced by my driving 6 hours in one day and then spending nearly $4000 to save Tribble (an 11 year old cat) a couple months ago. If I hadn't had the money I would have begged to be allowed to volunteer for the surgical group or ER until my debt was paid, and would probably go beg on a street corner to save him.

Spud (i.e. Bumbledog) passed away January 2011 (so 11 months ago). It was devastating, and I truly mean devastating. I could barely function and still cry every. single. day. I wear his tag on a chain around my neck, taking it off only to shower, and sleep with his leash and collar. If he and FI had been trapped in a burning building and I could only save one I honestly don't know what I would have done. I would have done anything, ANYTHING to save his life if I could have. But he had already saved mine several times throughout his life, so that added to it.

All that said, however, if any of them had cancer or a bad prognosis, I would likely put them to sleep. It would be the kindest thing to do, and honestly I think the same should be done for humans and believe it's cruel to force cancer patients who desire a painless death to suffer horribly.

I also have realistic expectations/knowledge of them. I know they don't really car what's on TV, for example, but may not like how loud it is. They have emotions, but are unlikely to, say, pine for motherhood.

My friends know darn well that if they were to ever say, "It's just a cat/dog" to me, I would hang up/walk away and never speak to them again. They would have proven clearly that they didn't know me very well or don't care much about me

thejucheidea

Bellamy and Zoë are our children. When we talk to them, we call each other Mommy and Daddy, and they know us by those names. They are massively spoiled.

SeaTea02

I tried to quote Leia, but TK redirects me to Ozarks Wedding by The Knot.... I don't know what or where Ozark is...

Anyway, I agree wil Leia. If someone asked me that we would no longer be friends. They clearly don't understand me or have the same respect for animals as I do. For me, that is too big of a difference to have a real friendship. 

If you didn't guess, my dog is my life. I would do anything for her. She is my child and my best friend. I got her when I was 15 and she has been there for every milestone. I have pictures with her from my proms, graduations, when FI proposed. She sleeps on two tempurpedic pillows next to my head every night. I am selecting and applying for jobs withing 10 minutes of the area we are moving to so I can be home with her at lunch and get home sooner.

Just a cat/dog... I would have responded "That's funny you think that, because she is more important to me than you are".