Carolla
wondering & wandering
- Pronouns
- She/Her/Her
I guess my age is showing. I've been seeing more posts (elsewhere, not here) about 'pet parents', 'fur babies' etc. So when did we humans cross over from being pet 'owners' to being pet 'parents'?? Seems to me most people buy their animal or avian or fishy pets ... so the 'parent' thing just seems weird. Yes, I get that our pets are important companions, part of the family etc. but this just seems so odd to me, and something that comes with whole additional layers of expectation. I've owned many pets, and loved them all (well, mostly) but never considered myself to be their 'parent'. Is this a creation of the pet industry? (as in "you want the best for your child" kind of motivation/guilt?) A longing by some people to have different relationships? Sigh. Interested in your thoughts about this.