People who over-pamper and indulge their pets

JupiterKid · 11-08-2020 9:14pm #1

I was watching a documentary on the TV a few evenings ago about pet owners who basically threat their pets like children and seriously over indulge, spoil and over-pamper them.

The show featured, among others, a middle aged woman who toiled all day cooking food for her three cats and a gay male couple who had three toy dogs and dressed them up in ridiculous clothing and gear. There was also a memorial end of life “funeral” service for dog and cat owners who wanted to mourn their pets.

Now don’t get me wrong, I love animals and over the years have had three dogs and two cats myself - and pets give tremendous affection and comfort to their owners, but treating the pet as a surrogate child does the animal absolutely no favours. They are, at the end of the day, animals with instincts and cannot act as a substitute for a partner of child, no matter how much the over-indulgent pet owner wants them to be.

As a gay man myself and the member of an over 40’s gay FB group, the number of images that other gay men (mainly but not exclusively in the USA) post up of their pets is truly staggering. It may seem like a cliche, but most cliches are based on a big smattering of truth. The over-pampered pet seems to be an increasing phenomenon, at least in the West.

Anyone here agree - or disagree - with me? Anyone here big into pampering their beloved pets to the Nth degree themselves?

ygolometsipe · 11-08-2020 9:20pm

I'm happy if it makes them happy, however they need to bring a plastic bag
when going to the park. No one likes dog poop.

gmisk · 11-08-2020 9:27pm

JupiterKid wrote: »

I was watching a documentary on the TV a few evenings ago about pet owners who basically threat their pets like children and seriously over indulge, spoil and over-pamper them.

The show featured, among others, a middle aged woman who toiled all day cooking food for her three cats and a gay male couple who had three toy dogs and dressed them up in ridiculous clothing and gear. There was also a memorial end of life “funeral” service for dog and cat owners who wanted to mourn their pets.

Now don’t get me wrong, I love animals and over the years have had three dogs and two cat myself - and pets give tremendous affection and comfort to their owners, but treating the pet as a surrogate child does the animal absolutely no favours. They are, at the end of the day, animals with instincts and cannot act as a substitute for a partner of child, no matter how much the over-indulgent pet owner wants them to be.

As a gay man myself and the member of an over 40’s gay FB group, the number of images that other gay men post up of their pets is truly staggering. It may seem like a cliche, but most cliches are based on a big smattering of truth. The over-pampered pet seems to be an increasing phenomenon, at least in the West.

Anyone here agree - or disagree - with me? Anyone here big into pampering their beloved pets to the Nth degree themselves?

I love my dog to bits.
He is a member of the family but I don't treat him like a baby, dressing him up etc, but hey if it makes people happy why would you care?
Our dog is well looked after to say the least he has health insurance....my other half doesn't... and he gets pretty expensive food but it keeps him healthy and his coat is in amazing condition.

As another poster said the main thing is to clean up after your dog!

I can definitely see why someone would want a memorial tbh seems like a lovely idea.

Rubberchikken · 11-08-2020 9:27pm

We love our pets. We choose them so as responsible people we care for them, feed them great quality food, take them to the vet as needed and love them unconditionally.

And we always scoop the poop after the pup:)

OOnegative · 11-08-2020 9:29pm

Marleen.

[Deleted User] · 11-08-2020 9:30pm

If it makes them happy then let them at it. I guess it fills a void, or satisfies some parental type instinct.

My pets are spoiled with love, but I draw the line at dressing them up or creating fussy eaters. They eat the food the vet says is best, they get love and attention and medical care like members of the family should but they are not babies, they're buddies.

SEPT 23 1989 · 11-08-2020 9:32pm

did any of them have children?

Spanish Eyes · 11-08-2020 9:36pm

As long as the dogs don't bark all night and owners clean up all is good with me. But I fekin hate cats that poo in my garden. I'm told, ah well they are outdoor cats, can't stop them roaming. Yes you can, get an indoor cat!

Some pet owners are a bit nuts alright, never hear their dogs barking or worry about neighbours being subjected to the cat poo invaders either.

At least their kids can't bark or jump over a wall lol.

Deebles McBeebles · 11-08-2020 9:37pm

It can be quite cruel to the animal to treat them like your dress up dolls or as an item to show off on social media. That's all I would have a problem with really. Treat them like dogs. And by that I mean treat them incredibly well.

Signore Fancy Pants · 11-08-2020 9:38pm

I knew a guy growing up who used to **** off dogs.

[Deleted User] · 11-08-2020 9:42pm

I think anyone who dresses their pet up is really missing something in life and it’s fairly pathetic really. I mean in the truest sense of the word. It’s pitiful nonsense.

The same goes for people who spend more on pet food than they do on quality food for themselves and take more time for their pets than their kids etc.

There seems to be a lot of pet owners with pretty messed up priorities.

Bobblehats · 11-08-2020 9:43pm

I wouldn’t have a propensity toward furbabies myself. Some people get carried away and think they’re little people; and they’ll tell you the same about them I suppose if did get a dog I’d probably be an Alsatian or something I could at least have a conversation with.

Temptamperu · 11-08-2020 9:49pm

Signore Fancy Pants wrote: »

I knew a guy growing up who used to **** off dogs.

red rocket red rocket red rocket wayyyy!!! :pac:

Errashareesh · 11-08-2020 9:51pm

It creates too much of a dependency on them. It's heartbreaking enough to lose a beloved pet that is treated as a beloved pet (lost two recently

) not to mind a pet which is treated like a baby.

One eyed Jack · 11-08-2020 9:52pm

JupiterKid wrote: »

Anyone here agree - or disagree - with me? Anyone here big into pampering their beloved pets to the Nth degree themselves?

I know where you’re coming from alright, there’s a programme on one of the channels that the guy is like a cat therapist that visits people having trouble with their cats, it’s very odd stuff altogether, but ultimately harmless really.

The whole “fur babies” stuff can be a bit grating, but I get that some people really do view animals as greater value to them personally than humans, and just like some people show off their children on social media, I guess it’s the same for some people and their pets.

Some of it’s alright I guess, some of it’s eyeroll inducing, depends really upon the degree to which they want me to go along with them, can be a bit cringe inducing at times.

Feisar · 11-08-2020 9:59pm

Spanish Eyes wrote: »

As long as the dogs don't bark all night and owners clean up all is good with me. But I fekin hate cats that poo in my garden. I'm told, ah well they are outdoor cats, can't stop them roaming. Yes you can, get an indoor cat!

Some pet owners are a bit nuts alright, never hear their dogs barking or worry about neighbours being subjected to the cat poo invaders either.

At least their kids can't bark or jump over a wall lol.

Yea the whole "sure what can you do" attitude to cats pooping is annoying.

Going to go all USA on them and put up a "They sh!t, I shoot" sign.

[Deleted User] · 11-08-2020 10:06pm

Errashareesh wrote: »

It creates too much of a dependency on them. It's heartbreaking enough to lose a beloved pet that is treated as a beloved pet (lost two recently ) not to mind a pet which is treated like a baby.

Ah, no.

Two in a short time is rough.

Sorry for the loss. My little doggy was adopted when he was already a senior, I dread the day he leaves us. The cat, I suspect, has no intention of going before us.

Errashareesh · 11-08-2020 10:22pm

Candie wrote: »

Ah, no. Two in a short time is rough.

Sorry for the loss. My little doggy was adopted when he was already a senior, I dread the day he leaves us. The cat, I suspect, has no intention of going before us.

Thanks a mil. You'd be absolutely distraught all right.

My brothers' friend - his dogs seem like substitutes for children, he refers to them as though they are his kids. One of them died of cancer a few months ago and he (the owner) is doing very badly. My heart aches for folk who perhaps can't have children and end up having that kind of relationship with their pets. Easy for me to say it's not a good idea I suppose.

[Deleted User] · 11-08-2020 10:29pm

Errashareesh wrote: »

Thanks a mil. You'd be absolutely distraught all right.

My brothers' friend - his dogs seem like substitutes for children, he refers to them as though they are his kids. One of them died of cancer a few months ago and he (the owner) is doing very badly. My heart aches for folk who perhaps can't have children and end up having that kind of relationship with their pets. Easy for me to say it's not a good idea I suppose.

My uncle and aunt never had children, and have been emotionally over-invested in their pets as long as I can remember. It's a painful thing, to spend your love on a being you're certain to outlive.

Church on Tuesday · 11-08-2020 10:34pm

I reckon it's to do with loneliness, after all, ours is the most lonely and isolated generation yet.

It fills a certain void for people in their lives, mostly women although not at all exclusively.

castletownman · 11-08-2020 11:09pm

I loved my dog thst died a couple of years ago and am besotted with a new one that the GF's family got.

But I think that anyone so attached to their dogs that they dress them up essentially like humans and call them fur babies are psychologically not all there. I say none of them have either experienced the love of another human being, and a lot of them have never held down any sort of job because they are wacky.

And I find it incredible that dogs have been used as pets for millenia, yet the way the whole culture has exploded lately you'd swear they were a new discovery.

[Deleted User] · 11-08-2020 11:19pm

I think people picking up their dog's **** and carrying it around with them is pretty gross..

em_cat · 12-08-2020 12:27am

CQD wrote: »

I think people picking up their dog's **** and carrying it around with them is pretty gross..

Why is picking up/ holding your dog gross? Our Pom is partially blind so when she wakes up she licks the arm of whoever is near to know who it is & needs to be held at times because she’s fearful of people she doesn’t know.

Errashareesh · 12-08-2020 12:29am

em_cat wrote: »

Why is picking up/ holding your dog gross? Our Pom is partially blind so when she wakes up she licks the arm of whoever is near to know who it is & needs to be held at times because she’s fearful of people she doesn’t know.

The dog's poo, not the dog.

You have to pick up the dog's poo with a scoop/bag if out walking them though. Not nice but part of dog walking etiquette, and better than leaving it.

Unless CQD is referring to people actually picking up dog shyte with their bare hand? :eek: never heard of that myself.

LETHAL LADY · 12-08-2020 1:47am

I grew up in the country in a big family so we've always had pets. Nothing exotic just cats and dogs.
My childhood friends came from farms so I'd have experience with cattle, sheep, pigs, chickens etc Very cuddly as babies but destined to be meat on your plate so you can't get too attached like. A special mention for goats (mad feckers so they are).
My father also had the unfortunate job of having to use the humane killer for the larger built livestock. Not very nice for him I can tell you as we weren't farmers.
Treating an animal like a baby just shows a lack of understanding of animals from the owner rather than anything sinister I'd say.
Sure there's plenty of similarities in most human relationships.

Pretzill · 12-08-2020 1:56am

I love my dogs - they are and have been part of the family - they give an awful lot and depend on you too - I wouldn't dress them up or mollycoddle but they sometimes get more of the couch than me. No harm - they won't be around as long

MrMusician18 · 12-08-2020 2:08am

To my untrained eye it looks like some of these people are using their pets as a surrogate for the children they haven't had (for wherever reason).

If I feel any emotions towards them, it's usually pity.

[Deleted User] · 12-08-2020 2:13am

The only issues I have is when they bring dogs for walks in strollers / bags. It's a ****ing dog, it wants and needs to walk. It wants to be a dog, not a human baby.

Referring to pets as their babies and calling themselves mammy / daddy. No, sorry but it's not even close. You are a pet owner, it's not in the same league as raising a child.

I have a cat, a dog, goldfish and a turtle. Actually, I don't own any of them, I just clean after them, feed them, buy the various items they need, walk them, carry them from house to car and car to vet then pay the vets bills. I give out but I love my pets, sorry the pets of my children and wife and we had a funeral for our last dog. He was a great dog in fairness.

[Deleted User] · 12-08-2020 2:41am

MrMusician18 wrote: »

To my untrained eye it looks like some of these people are using their pets as a surrogate for the children they haven't had (for wherever reason).
.

This is definitely the case I reckon..On the likes of POF you see a lot of 40ish ladies with dogs obviously filling a children shaped hole in their lives..

Yeah..kind of sad really..

But then again dogs are lovely..so..

[Deleted User] · 12-08-2020 2:45am

I love my dog and others have put clothes on her for a laugh, usually at Halloween or Christmas :P She gets scraps and a bowl or 2 of food a day (she's only small) and sleeps in the bed with me when she wants. Maybe she's a bit spoiled but I prefer it to a "properly trained" dog that doesn't seem to be allowed any fun. I love the wiggle when I come in the door, what can I say? :pac:

chrissb8 · 12-08-2020 2:53am

It's a surrogacy thing. I have nowhere to shower my love & affection, let me concentrate it on this animal. Which is fine. But there are definitely levels and people fall into humanising their dogs. Making them literally a priority in terms of their social ladder.

It's an animal. Great animals (I'm just going with cats & dogs when assuming animals). But it shouldn't be a substitute for an important meaningful relationship with a person. The sad thing is a lot of people think this is fine when all it really is doing is damaging them in the long term. Crazy cat lady vibes but to a much lesser degree.

People who over-pamper and indulge their pets

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