What makes a "pet" a "pet"?

[Otterwoman]

I sent my friend a birthday card the other day signed:
Love, Dawn, Berry, Lily, Twinkie, Piglet, Jasmine & Binky, Niblet, Fluffy & Fuzzy, Eddie & Elektra, Amelia, Cutie-Pie, Little Yellowy, Slimy, Blotty, Greenie, Greeno, Greeneroo, Alpie, Alpo, Alperoo, Little Bo Peep, Mary Mary, Peter Peter, Wee Willie Winkie, Rosa, Rickie, Mira, Nixie, Naiad, Undine, Mistry, and the babies.

 

[John]

I sent my friend a birthday card the other day signed:
Love, Dawn, Berry, Lily, Twinkie, Piglet, Jasmine & Binky, Niblet, Fluffy & Fuzzy, Eddie & Elektra, Amelia, Cutie-Pie, Little Yellowy, Slimy, Blotty, Greenie, Greeno, Greeneroo, Alpie, Alpo, Alperoo, Little Bo Peep, Mary Mary, Peter Peter, Wee Willie Winkie, Rosa, Rickie, Mira, Nixie, Naiad, Undine, Mistry, and the babies.

I'll be the first to admit I can anthropomorphise too much but this is scary.

 

[Ed]

A coworker recieved a birthday card from her sister who wrote it like it was coming from her pet dog....


Ed

 

[caudataman]

Geez,

I hate having to write out my whole human family's names on cards. For close family and Xmas presents it's signed B2M2 (with the numbers as squared for Brian, Brian, Meghan, and Michael). Not terribly personal perhaps, but efficient!

 

[i_love_necturus]

Whoa Dawn! How can you even remember so many names of animals??? I forget my own family's names sometimes let alone pets.

 

[Otterwoman]

I have the names of my tank denizens written on a card affixed to the front of each tank as well as when and where I acquired them.
I was waiting for someone to ask, 'what do you do when you send out annual December holiday cards, sign each one like that?' Then I was going to say, 'I'm more worried about how I'm going to get everyone to say "cheese" at once for the family holiday photo.' Then I was going to say 'I even name my dust bunnies', and then say, 'just kidding'. But I have made provisions for my pets in my will, and that's not a joke.

There is a columnist in my local paper who recently wrote something about how there should be legislation compensating owners for when people cause their pets to die, that currently they are only worth property value and not considered for their value as companions or family members. She said (paraphrased) 'I'm talking about real pets, not someone's snake or hamster.' Well, I sent her an email letting her have it. I wrote about their value as companions* and giving meaning and purpose to our lives, and I wrote her all about how much care and devotion people give to such animals, and gave examples of how people are devoted to "alternative" pets. She never replied.

*Maybe we should be using the term "companion animal" here in this discussion instead of "pet"? then it wouldn't have to automatically imply we have to be picking them up. Does that change the discussion much?

 

[freves]

I don't know Dawn. When I think of the term "companion animal" , I think of a dog or a cat (and maybe a handful of other mammals and some birds). I think that it is safe to say that salamanders probably forget that we even exist except when we are standing in front of them.
Chip

 

[ianclick]

Websters Dictionary defines Pet as " an animal that is domesticated and kept as a companion or treated with fondness".

So "petship" could therfore fall under the category of frailities of the human condition.

It would appear that we are the only species that exhibits this particular behavioural trait.

Call it Worm or Fred the motivation as John eluded to seems to be the governing factor.

Its easy for me to name my pets, they exist in the same time and space as me, therefore its comfortable for me to name them and view them as pets. Similarly with my children. The reality is I have no claim of ownership over either. I am merely a caregiver to them all.

My role is to assist them with their own individual journeys not to impose my will apon them. Both seem to fit "Websters" definition of a pet.

I cannot however imagine a freezing worker developing an emotional attachment with any of the animals they were about to slaughter. One would assume that if they did we would have some very disturbed people.

On the other hand I grew up in a rural environment, we had petdays at school.

I'm sure I wasn't the only kid at school who enjoyed roast flluffy when she changed from lamb to hoggett. Or noticed that Bacon the pig was aptly named in the end.

By way of qualification I am from New Zealand. 4 million people - 70 million sheep.

Enough Said

Click

 

[Otterwoman]

Well, I think if my salamanders think about food when I'm not around, they might be thinking of me
I just suggested "companion animal" in that they share our home, and also because "pet" implies physical contact.
On another note, I think there was some gorilla in a zoo that had a pet cat for a long time, and she really loved it. So under some conditions, other animals have pets. Well, just the one. Though I wonder if my cats think they're the "owners" and I'm the one they have to indulge.