Do You Truly Treat Your Pet As Part Of The Family?

Discussion in Pets started by thepieeatingjay • Feb 11, 2015.

  1. hellavu

    hellavuActive Member

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    So simply summed up, and so very real. It is probably a very common phenomenon too!

    My hamster is the shy kind, so I have no loyalty from her, but at least, she does not do anything wrong or hurtful. Or stupid or mean. So yeah. I can really relate to whatcha saying :)
     
  2. Jannnnjan

    JannnnjanActive Member

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    Our cat is definitely part of the family. She enjoys all the things we enjoy in the house. Access to the sofa, watching television, her own bed, regular meals etc. We all make a fuss of her and she wants for nothing.
    Our cat, on the other hand, views us as her staff. We are there to serve her. She hasn't bothered to learn how to paw open a slightly ajar door. No, she will just sit there miaowing till one of her staff open it for her. She even miaows looking up at the window for us to pick her up and put her out. Even though she could jump on the sill if she wanted.
    Cats are very clever. They have it all worked out.
     
  3. LilAnn

    LilAnnActive Member

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    You had me really laughing out loud! It's a perfect description of all cat. My daughter had one that was so lazy, he had to lay down to eat. And then dozed off and slept with his head in the food bowl. They just took him to the vet to get him fixed, and he weighed 18 lbs.
     
  4. Thejamal

    ThejamalActive Member

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    Absolutely! Our dog and cat are apart of the family and pretty much live the high life. And that's how you should treat pets to be honest. They should be cared for and loved as much as possible.

    My parents cat runs the house pretty much. Beds and toys all over the house and does whatever she pretty much wants.
     
  5. LilAnn

    LilAnnActive Member

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    Honestly, I don't understand why in the world someone would have a pet if they don't consider them family. I'm not going to share my home with anyone or anything that I don't care about enough to want them to be healthy and happy. Not only that, but those pets are looking at you and loving you unconditionally and without question. It's selfish to accept their love, and loyalty, and devotion without bothering to try to earn it.
     
  6. Corzhens

    CorzhensWell-Known Member

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    In the last 2 weeks, we just celebrated the birthday of our 2 dogs Pipoy on May 29 and Barbie on June 4. Each has its birthday cake for the pictorial with matching birthday song singing, hahahaaa. You can guess that it garnered lots of comments when I posted the pics on Facebook.
     
  7. kitkat0124

    kitkat0124Active Member

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    I have dogs and I really treat them like a member of the family. The joy their bring to the family is priceless. They are very protective to us especially my new dog. He is 7 mos now. He keeps following me around when ever I'm in the house. If there is someone who come to the house who is unfamilliar to him he will keep barking and wont stop until he is gone.
     
  8. missfortune81

    missfortune81Member

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    I definitely treat my cats like family;possibly even better, ha ha. I always greet them when I come home or when they walk into the room I'm in. I am very in tune to their different personalities and know when something is "off" with them, whether it be sickness, sadness, or boredom. Call me crazy, but my cats are not just pets. I have raised them since they were babies, and I consider them my children.
     
  9. seatones

    seatonesNew Member

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    I think my family does a good job of finding the balance of having the pets be a part of the family and still be treated as pets. Obviously most people don't treat pets like people; they aren't. They eat pet food and humans generally aren't buying their pets queen beds and have their own bathroom. I think the main thing that I do to "prove" they are a part of the family is always keep them in mind when making decisions or going places. Whenever we go on vacation, we make sure to either find a way to bring them or at the very least make arrangements that are going to be comfortable and natural for them.
     
  10. Sue

    SueActive Member

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    I definitely treat my cats as part of my family because they are. They are our babies. We always make sure they are well taken care of. We take them for their checkups and visits with the vet when they aren't feeling well. We buy them the food they like and they get treats also. We play with them when they want to play. They both sleep with us at night. We talk to them and give them lots of attention. When I get home form work they are both waiting for me at the door even though they have been with Daddy all day. They love their Mommy time, too. They love to snuggle. They are my life and I love them to pieces.
     
  11. dandeliion

    dandeliionMember

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    Absolutely! My boyfriend and I spoil our cat rotten and she is truly the love of our lives. She is pretty much the ruler of the household.
     
  12. morgoodie

    morgoodieActive Member

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    I do think of my dogs as part of my family. I make sure they are warm so I will cover them up or let them get under the covers with me. My one dog likes to sleep under the covers with me at night. I always refer to them as my children's brother and sister. My sister is Aunt to them. I always take pictures of them like they are my children. There are so many ways in which I make them think they are family and I wouldn't have it any other way.
     
  13. JosieP

    JosiePWell-Known Member

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    Actually, I don't understand the point in bringing an animal home if not to become a part of the family. They love, they feel joy, they miss you, they need you, some feel empathy.. why would anyone treat them less than any other living being? They deserve as much love and comfort as the rest of us. When someone thinks you hang the moon, we should try our best to behave as we do.

    Every animal I have ever had, I've done my best to give them the most comfort and love as I could; the best life possible. The most innocent of us all deserve it far more than most.
     
  14. MichelleVL

    MichelleVLMember

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    I totally see my dogs as part of the family. They will share family gatherings us, will take pictures with us. They sleep with us, go on family vacations, drive around with us, and even receive presents during Christmas time. For example, if one of the kids is bothering one of the dogs you'll hear something along the lines of "leave your Uncle Bootsies alone, if you don't want a bite from him." When we've lost one of our pets, we've also given them a proper funeral, and have even mourned them more than most of our "human" relatives.
     
  15. PennyPincher

    PennyPincherMember

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    I have two dogs and they are my babies. One is an 80 lb 5 1/2 yr old female white Boxer named Sugar. the other is a 10 lb 2 yr old male blonde terrier mix named Kirby. They sleep with us, they eat when we do, and I love them more than any pets I have ever owned.
    My kids spoil them just like babies too. The dogs have their own special blankets and are allowed to lay on the bed or the couch any time they want. Whenever I can, I take them places with me when I go somewhere. Kirby is so attached to me that he cries and whines if I go somewhere without him.
    Now mind you, I cannot say that my dogs mean as much to me as my actual children, but my husband and I go above and beyond all to ensure our dogs are safe, healthy and happy just like we do our children.

    I have to admit I am one of those people who polishes my dogs nails from time to time. I usually do this when I am trimming my white Boxer girl's claws. I trim them, file them and polish them. She sits perfectly still and acts like she loves feeling pampered. The way I see it, if I took her to a groomer it wold cost way more to have her nails trimmed than it does for me to do it myself. I only use the cheap $1 bottles of polish on her. It makes her feel special, so what does it hurt? lol
     
    #55Feb 13, 2016
    Last edited by a moderator: Feb 18, 2016
  16. mett1982

    mett1982New Member

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    I most certainly do treat my dogs as part of my family. Sometimes I treat them better than I treat my husband. I think you really should treat them as a part of your family and love them the same way you would love your child or spouse. They are amazing companions and no matter what, they love you unconditionally. So why not do the same for them. I make sure my pups are feed everyday, that they are in good health and that they are generally happy. I play with them, pet them, give them kisses and let them know they are good dogs. I let them sleep on the couch and they sleep with my every night. This is their home too. I show them love and in return they show me love as well. Sometimes I think maybe I shouldn't treat them as a part of the family and that they are just dogs. Being that close to something that has a much shorter lifespan of my own can be quite heartbreaking. But when it's all said and done, I really love my dogs. They are apart of my family and I wouldn't treat them any other way.
     
  17. obliviousme

    obliviousmeActive Member

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    Yes of course, I've considered my dog as part of the family since day one and i think everyone should treat their pets as such. They are innocent little beings who bring joy to you and your family, they show affection like humans do, not only that, they protect you if the need arise.
     
  18. joshc428

    joshc428Active Member

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    I see my dog as part of my family. She's kind of like a toddler that I have to care for, feed, protect, etc. but she does not need attention 24/7 like a baby does. We dress my dog in cute clothes for family photos and we often take her on vacation with us. My dog is basically like my little sister.
     
  19. hades_leae

    hades_leaeActive Member

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    I treat my animals as if they were my own family/kids. I let all of my dogs sleep in the bed with me, they are pretty big though. Golden retrievers are big dogs. Although I treat them like family, I still have to be careful with them because they are dogs. There are the most perfect kids to me though.

    I talk to them, we go out and play, I'd rather spend time with them than do other things like go to the movies. If I can watch the movie at home with them, then I'll do that...not that they'll pay attention for that long. And a many other things. The list goes on and on.