Don't Call Your Companion Animal "Pet"

[icyfroth]

Call your animal a 'companion' instead of a pet: PETA chief says term is derogatory because it makes living things sound like a 'commodity' or 'decoration'

Apparently, it's derogatory:

Cats and dogs seem perfectly happy to be fed, watered and cuddled by doting owners.

But whatever you do, don't call them pets, says the head of an animal rights organisation.

Ingrid Newkirk, the president of PETA, said this is derogatory and suggests they are merely a 'commodity' or 'decoration'.

The group – People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals – has long called for owners to be renamed 'human carers' or guardians.

Yesterday, the animal rights activist, 70, from Surrey, compared calling animals pets to the treatment of women before feminism, when they were not allowed to own property or were patronisingly called 'sweetie' or 'honey' to make them seem 'less of a person'.

Miss Newkirk said: 'Animals are not pets – they are not your cheap burglar alarm, or something which allows you to go out for a walk. They are not ours as decorations or toys, they are living beings.

'A dog is a feeling, whole individual, with emotions and interests, not something you 'have'.'

It is estimated almost 45 per cent of UK households have a pet – about 51million animals – mainly dogs.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7954103/Dont-call-pet-pet-Animal-rights-charity-chief-says-...

What next?

[davewil1964]

Sounds about right. PETA are known for their views that non-huiman animals are more important than human ones.

I've never actually heard a dog or cat or goldfish or rat object to being called a pet, but my telepathy is badly in need of retuning.

[go-tazz]

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@davewil1964 wrote:

Sounds about right. PETA are known for their views that non-huiman animals are more important than human ones.

I've never actually heard a dog or cat or goldfish or rat object to being called a pet, but my telepathy is badly in need of retuning.

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Yet they made up their name from the word pet so maybe they should change theirs first to something

more appropriate.

Surely there are a lot of names they could take up such as Don't have a clue or Numbskull society,etc.

This is the same organization that's had "kill" rates in their centres of up to 80% and higher when animals have

gone through their centres.

They are a bunch of nutters that obviously don't want cats and dogs around and so make believe that people

shouldn't have them as pets and as such their numbers would dwindle rapidly the same as when they end up

at their shelters.

[bright.ton42]

They are extremists and a bunch of loonies

They're the ones who spout that animals should not be domesticated and should be allowed to run in the wild.

My spoilt rotten 'pets' laughed themselvers silly at this.  

[zanadoo_56]

Good grief.

Talk about focussing on semantics.  Obviously they have nothing better to talk about.

My cat wouldn't consider me calling her a pet derogatory (if she had any idea she was a pet of course, which of course she doesn't because she is the boss in the house). 

No cat would rate humans as high as companions either, because as every 'pet cat owner ' (hoho) knows, humans are a cat's handy slave.  🙂

[lyndal1838]

Utter and complete rubbish.

My pets have aways been called by their given names just as my children were.....how is that derogatory or demeaning?

[davidc4430]

i put people who like to make animals as stupid as us by putting our ideas of whats important into the animals mind.

most of us know most animald have pretty basic thought processes

if your kind to most domesticated animals, feed them, give them a warm dry place to live and treatment by trained professionals should they get unwell. they return the love.

they really dont care if you call a female bob or a boy lucy.

they also dont care if they over hear you saying 'i have a pet cat'

would love someone to prove me wrong.

i just tested it by saying 'hello silly dumb pet cat' to rosie

she didnt seem to mind.

[davidc4430]

ok, i may be wrong as rosie has just stoped me from watching youtube clips and demanded feeding!

[lionrose.7]

I call my Cat Lilli or if she will not come inside for the night B Face LOL

Lilli is  the boss, I am her Pet Slave

[lyndal1838]

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@davidc4430 wrote:

i just tested it by saying 'hello silly dumb pet cat' to rosie

she didnt seem to mind.

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Be careful David......she is storing those "insults" in her brain for future use.