"Fur" Kids? Are you a "Fur" Parent?

  Do you consider your furry companions, who share your life, your kids? Do you pamper them, dress them, and doll them up as if they were your real children? If you do then you probably call them your "fur"kids. I guess there is a bit of hoopla over this term now, and it's becoming more mainstream in it's use. Heck, even I have used it from time to time. But, I don't dress mine up and pamper them quite so much as to buy them diamond collars, or give them pedicures with polish, etc.

Lately we see pictures celebrities carrying around their pampered pooches, we see halloween for pets, we see more and more pet shops carrying dog and cat sweaters and clothes. I wonder about how the pet feels, and have asked some I know and they'll blithely say that their pet loves to be dressed up! Ummmm, excuse me, but they have fur, why do we need to clothe them?



Ok, I understand the idea that because they are dependent on us for their care and safekeeping, in that way, they are like children. But for me I haven't quite wrapped my head around the idea that they need to be dressed like humans. It's been reported though that some people with both 2 legged and 4 legged "children" at times will dress their fur kids better than their actual kids.  Perhaps I have a problem with this, ok, but consider this, maybe if you're dressing your fur kid in better clothes, or they have better jewelry etc than your actual kids, there is in my estimation a problem. Is it perhaps still a wish to dress up the baby? Or is it more like dressing up dolls? Pets can't talk back to us about what you're doing to them, nor can they tell you perhaps they don't wish to be dressed up.

Sorry, I am just musing here, perhaps dogs don't mind it, but cats really don't like to be manipulated like this in my experience. And I am certainly not sure what guinea pigs or lizards or even ponies think of all of this. I understand that we truly do adore our furry companions, and they truly are part of the family, but they really aren't human (or hooman or bean if you're speaking "furkidese"). Please don't get me wrong, I truly adore my furry family members, but they get to be what they are supposed to be, kitties and doggies in all their furry glory. And even though they have personality and feelings they still aren't human.

As I said, these are just my musings and my feelings on the topic. What do you think? I am open to hearing you if you think differently on this topic.