Do you know someone who insists on calling their pets their fur babies? Well, I definitely do, and I have to admit it’s getting a little much. For those of you who have no idea what I’m talking about, let me explain it. Basically, a fur baby is a term that the western world has started to use when speaking about their furry pets — who are often dogs.
Admittedly, I’ve actually used this term a few times. But to my defense, I was using the term ironically when I was intentionally being extra about my dog and her undeniable cuteness. The term can be endearing, and it’s most definitely tempting when you find the words to describe just how much you adore your furry friend.
However, some people on Reddit are getting pretty upset, even offended, when they hear someone call their dog, cat, or what-have-you, a fur baby.
What’s wrong with fur babies?
I’m not here to explain why calling your pets ‘fur babies’ is offensive to others. And I’m definitely not the person to tell you if it’s okay to continue using this term. However, unless you’ve been living under a rock, I’m sure you’ve heard this term used at least once. That speaks to just how popular and how many people have added fur babies to their vocabulary.
If you are someone who uses this term, you may be extremely confused why this is offensive. I think it’s fair to say that many people who use this term don’t have kids, which means the only ‘child-like’ thing in our lives that we take care of (besides plants) are our pets. When you put it like that, it’s easy to see why ‘fur babies’ has become so popular. Undeniably, there are a lot of people out there who only have pets, not children.
However, for those parents out there who have human children, it may be extremely frustrating to have your child be compared to the responsibilities of taking care of a five-year-old chihuahua. So, for that reason, I’ve put together some points why parents HATE when you call your pets fur babies.
We can’t compare our fur babies to our human babies
You may have hated every single word that I have written this far because you are an extremely dedicated pet owner who takes care of your pet like their royalty. However, there is no denying that having a pet is much different than having a child.
For one, they are different species, so I’m not sure why we’re humanizing our pets in the first place, but our ‘fur babies’ also require very minimal effort to take care of in comparison to a child.
For instance, a dog, who some would argue needs the most care, needs very minimal things. Food, every morning and night; water, when their bowl is empty; and walks that vary in frequency across dog breeds.
I’m not saying having a dog is a piece of cake. However, being a dog owner who walked my dog 90 miles last month, I’m saying that it still doesn’t compare to having a child what-so-ever.
Let our ‘fur babies’ just, you know… be pets
Why are we trying to change the characteristics of our pets? We love our pets; we would give the world a happy life, but why do we have to humanize them. Isn’t my dog perfect the way she is just being a dog?
You may not have the answer to my question but I can tell you one thing, my dog loves BEING a dog. Just like your cat loves being a CAT.
It’s not an issue unless Reddit chimes in
I’ve heard it all. “Fur-baby,” “fur-grandbaby” “fur-niece/nephew” (literally). Especially if you have an actual child, grandchildren, nieces, and nephews. THEY ARE NOT HUMAN. They are animals. they do not have the capacity for sentient thought or speech or communication. They are dogs or cats or whatever animal, not your ”fur-baby,” Reddit user, SouthernAirline6, shares [1]
Using the term fur babies may make us feel closer to our furry friends, pretending that we are their mothers. It may even help us feel like we are important, because we have this living, breathing animal who needs us for their survival. But the reality is, our pet is just our pet. They’re happy the way they are, why can’t we be?
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