A baby is a human child and that alone!

I wonder if our last dog spoke Welsh?

He could speak English too but with a Welsh lilt.

Churchview

"I always talk to my dog in an American accent. Always have done with all my dogs over the years. No idea why. But I don't call her my baby." Rula

When our dog 'talks' to us she does so with Bristol accent as that's where we rescued her.

She's not my baby, but she is my friend and she's 'gert lush'.

😂😂😂

Churchview, my spaniel has a midlands accent despite living in the north west since 8 months of age 🐶

Personally, I think that’s bonkers!

We adore dogs, and they are as much part of the family as our children, but they are not humans and kitchen appliances certainly are not!

Each to their own, I guess!

"I always talk to my dog in an American accent. Always have done with all my dogs over the years. No idea why. But I don't call her my baby." Rula

When our dog 'talks' to us she does so with Bristol accent as that's where we rescued her.

She's not my baby, but she is my friend and she's 'gert lush'.

It would seem a human baby over 12months becomes an infant - but I’ve never been asked to infant-sit my DGSs.

What a lot of irritation towards not much.
My dogs are ‘the dogs’. When my daughter’s dog stays, I walk her with my female spaniel, leaving my big male lab to be taken out separately because he isn’t as easy to manage as “the girls” . Come on girls I’ll say and off we go. He hears this and goes to his bed. None of them are due babies, not in any way.

My daughters are heading for 40 but are known as ‘the girls’.

I don’t call anyone baby and would never be called it, however I don't get offended if others use it. Can think of far worse.

Personally, it is of no consequence to me how anyone refers to their pets. Keeping a pet can have a positive effect on the owners mental health, particularly if they live alone.

What I do object to is anyone picking up their pet animal and lunging it at me to 'introduce' it.

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, Baby can be a Noun an Adjective and a Verb. Common usage.
So, no, not just to be applied to a
human baby.

I understand how important animals are to some people, but when announcing their death don’t say ‘my baby died’ - your baby hasn’t died. Your pet dog/ cat has died.

karmalady

kids are baby goats, not human children and how many use the word kid for a human child.

Kid is a very old English word coming from "Kind", meaning "child", hence Kindergarten.
Or so I learnt studying languages at uni.

Do you not realise how very important animals are to some people ? How insensitive.

There’s some miserable bs around.

I often say machinery or electrical equipment "has died", but not "baby".
I call my dog, "young man," but never my "baby", so like now "walk time young man!"

I think there are some harsh comments here over a four letter word!
Who knows what someone’s life is that revolves around an animal that is referred to as his or her baby. DD1’s first dog, was known as my Grandog!
Others might refer to a project as their baby - something they are lavishly all their care and attention on. My friend and her garden comes to mind.

It’s just a word.

As for couples calling each other babe - I can think of a lot worse.

got

What’s that good to do with talking about the death of pets?

kids are baby goats, not human children and how many use the word kid for a human child.

YANBU
I remember seeing a post on mumsnet titled ‘my baby boy died last night’ - turns out it was her dog
Very insensitive for people who have lost children.

I can't believe how pathetic some people are. I think Charles Dickens was a great observer of people. He has included some very weird people in his stories. They must have been based on people like this!

My two cats are my little girls. I have 4 real live proper ones as well. Sometimes I call them the BLGs when I call them and they don’t want to come on. ( bad little girls) . Does it matter ?

My husband refers to me as "Mummy" when he's talking to our dog, for crying out loud 😒😠

Ohhhh Furbabies and rainbow bridges set my teeth on edge it’s as bad as nails on a chalk board

I always talk to my dog in an American accent. Always have done with all my dogs over the years. No idea why. But I don't call her my baby.

However I would never refer to her as my baby in public!

I loathe furbaby. It really annoys me.

And I would never refer to any household item as a baby either.