Fur babies!

Where is this rainbow bridge then MickyD have you seen it ?
You ve intrigued me now
I realise I come across annoyed in my texts and maybe I do sound like a animal disliker I can’t say enough I ve had dogs cats rabbits, gerbils, mice, snakes, fish, and hamsters and loved them all but there’s a place for animals and it’s not everywhere
Obviously for people with old ill or infirm dogs buggies are an idea, the same with medical shoes I was taking about the fancy frilly ones you can buy and the fancy dress costumes and crates where people leave there dogs in them for hours I m not taking about decent animal owners
We have big buggies come in the shop and thats not taking them for nice walkies to see the grass and the countryside
Our local pub chain (and no not Whetherspoons) has an advert for Saturday meet up for doggy walks, then obviously they expect them to all sit down for a drink and food The photograph advertising it has a dog sitting on the table that people are then going to eat off

My whole beef is not with good dog owners it’s not with the animals it’s with the whole thing about humanising animals and elevating them to a higher level

Most dog 'owners' have dogs because they are just amazing and unlike humans don't get upset about words used or such irrelevances!

Fur babies and rainbow bridge - both make me feel quite queasy. But then I feel even worse about the word 'hubby'. Don't get me started on 'holibobs'! I'm also not great about people having 'passed on', or 'passed'. They've died, fhs.

Dislike phrases like fur babies. Also pooch. Would not put my dog in silly clothes or carry in any form of transport. So degrading.

The term ‘fur babies’ certainly makes me cringe but when it comes to the ‘rainbow bridge’, it is an actual thing. Those of a certain spiritual inclination know that it actually exists. I’d say a lot of people use the term as a comfort without knowing of it’s existence. When you know, you know…

ViceVersa

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There is a regular customer in our local restaurant who brings her dog in to sit up on a chair at the table whilst she orders and eats her own meal. No, just no.

That's what my friend with the Shih Tzus does - she even feeds them at the table from her own plate. It's a definite no from me - and it's people like that who give the responsible dog owners like me a bad name.

Absolutely. And then people see dogs in prams or wearing boots[or in my case, coats] and don't realise it's for medical reasons

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There is a regular customer in our local restaurant who brings her dog in to sit up on a chair at the table whilst she orders and eats her own meal. No, just no.

That's what my friend with the Shih Tzus does - she even feeds them at the table from her own plate. It's a definite no from me - and it's people like that who give the responsible dog owners like me a bad name.

cc

There is a regular customer in our local restaurant who brings her dog in to sit up on a chair at the table whilst she orders and eats her own meal. No, just no.

Our French friend regularly has her petite Antoinette, a Yorkshire Terrier, on the table in restaurants. I deeply diapprove!!!

Oreo

Maybe70 if you like the phrase then keep on using it, but don’t expect everyone to like it.That’s what this thread is about, certain phrases, do they make you cringe or not.Fur babies and rainbow bridges do make me cringe.Other views are available.

I agree, can I raise you holibobs?

There is a regular customer in our local restaurant who brings her dog in to sit up on a chair at the table whilst she orders and eats her own meal. No, just no.

I have to push my Yorkie in a push chair because he has cruciate ligament disease. He's only allowed 10 mins walk a day. I'd rather take him him out for a change of scene than leave him at home.

Doesn’t your son like having his ears rubbed Jess20 ?😁

I confess my dog is a kind of child substitute. My son sums it up best, he says the dog stops me from 'over-mothering' him.

Can't agree more with you. Likewise the term 'doggo'.
Also loathe dogs being dressed up like toys, babies or fashion accessories.
Don't get me wrong, we had dogs many years ago and adored them, and the hole they left in our lives when they passed away was immense (bet that's another phrase which grinds people's gears!).
However, we need to remember dogs aren't substitute babies, or dress-up dolls; they are domesticated animals descended from wild animals and need to treated with respect to that, as well as being treated decently in respect to environment, health and kindness.
Getting down from my soapbox now!

Quote mabon2 Mon 21-Jul-25 14:07:41
It's awful, as is a woman who calls her 40 year old daughter her baby.

40 year old dogs and cats !

mabon2

It's awful, as is a woman who calls her 40 year old daughter her baby.

Well that would be silly, is this somebody you know?

It's awful, as is a woman who calls her 40 year old daughter her baby.

We don’t have a fur baby, we have a pot of catnip.

Prams for pets is going a bit far unless they are disabled or ill. It makes me cringe.

Why 'fur baby' anyway? I've never seen a baby fur in real life. What's their natural habitat?

I have had two dogs in the past and may get another when we both retire.We have also had several cats.All much missed when they died.

Elowen it’s not exactly the point a dog can be treated horrendously but still try to please it’s owner
No they wouldn’t bite or bark necessarily depending on the dog when my dog had to have a big lampshade thing after being spade ( Perhaps they don’t do it now but to stop them biting the wound open ) she accepted it without too much fuss she didn’t like it you could tell but she didn’t bark at me or bite me. I suppose these pampered dogs get used to the fuss

In the buggy they are strapped in and it’s something I guess becomes familiar Like the dog that comes in our shop draped around the owners neck she goes everywhere in that position
I ve never seen her walk but she can as I ve seen her put her down to change her position and she’s a normal dog with four legs that move
Dressing a dog in clothes is awful how do we know if they are comfortable or too hot ? who’s the dressing up for the owner or the dog?
A dog can be a beautiful faithful companion but it’s not a toy people wrongly believe I don’t like dogs because I don’t agree with this childlike behaviour but it’s not that it’s because I like dogs that I want them to be treated as dogs not furry appendages

Oreo

Maybe70 if you like the phrase then keep on using it, but don’t expect everyone to like it.That’s what this thread is about, certain phrases, do they make you cringe or not.Fur babies and rainbow bridges do make me cringe.Other views are available.

Just out of interest do you actually have a dog? Given that you are so knowledgeable about them.

Well when my ninth dog (not counting dogs of my childhood) died, it was such a loss for various reasons, I understood the Rainbow Bridge. She came via a breed specific charity I still volunteer for. The Rsinbow Bridge features but fur babies don’t 🐶

Maybe70 if you like the phrase then keep on using it, but don’t expect everyone to like it.That’s what this thread is about, certain phrases, do they make you cringe or not.Fur babies and rainbow bridges do make me cringe.Other views are available.

Oreo

Liberty

Our grandchildren were comforted by ‘The Rainbow bridge’ poem when our previous dog died nearly 10 years ago. The older ones drew pictures of the bridge with Tess standing at the end of it.

It helped them deal with their loss.

Yes, it’s nice for children.

How patronising .