Fur babies!

^TheWeirdoAgain60 Sat 19-Jul-25 12:05:55
Yes, Dotty123, you ARE turning into a grumpy old woman.^

It don't think the OP is a grumpy old woman, we all have words or phrases we do not like, I am sure you do too.

I love my dogs but dislike the term fur babies
Rainbow Bridge brings an element of comfort to people when they lose a pet so who am I to decry that.

BlueBelle you can rest assured you will not see my dogs in shops or restaurants or at any crowded event. They have their regular walks and are comfortable at home whilst we are out.

Babies refers to human infants. Why not say puppies, kittens, chicks etc for young animals and birds?

Yes, Dotty123, you ARE turning into a grumpy old woman.

I've had pets in the past, and ALL of them have been my fur babies, feather babies, etc. Each and every one of them.

All my beloved cats, dogs, budgies, canaries, cold water fish, mice, rats, gerbils, hamsters have all passed over the RAINBOW BRIDGE over the years. I'll love and miss them all forever.

Why should the word ''babies'' only refer to humans and not animals? Why should the Rainbow Bridge not be considered for our dearly departed pets? It's our way of knowing our babes have passed over.

BlueBelle, what happened to leaving uncontrollable screaming obnoxious brats at home instead of having them pestering everyone in shops, restaurants, etc.?

I'll continue to use the words fur babies and Rainbow Bridge whether anyone agrees or not.

Yes, I hate it when people dress their dogs up or treat them like some kind of fashion accessory -and those are the ones which are inevitably poorly trained too.

Each to their own. I don't see why how anyone refers to their pets should be anyone else's concern.

My two are definitely dogs not fur babies, as were their ten predecessors.
I confess to having come round to Rainbow Bridge after two of my dogs were helped to leave this world when cancer got them. It was immeasurably sad and painful time. The younger dog was only six 🐶

Anyway - one of my bugs with the fur baby brigade is they don’t train their dogs. They allow them to run up to on lead dogs and upset them. They seem to think using an extendable lead on our pavements next to busy roads is ok and it isn’t
I will stop as I can feel a rant building. Anyway it’s time to take my big lab to our Saturday training class

I can't stand seeing poor animals dressed up. It's so disrespectful and undignified. If people really loved their pets they wouldn't dream of doing it

You are right .I hate that saying .also I don't like cats and dogs being put in clothes

I dislike the terms and their owners being referred to as Mummy/Daddy.

Ugh! no, thanks.

I love dogs and cats. For me, part of their charm is that they are not human beings.

I find dressing dogs and cats in little outfits rather sad and, in a way, disrespectful. And as for animal weddings, least said.

But, I suppose, if I don't have to pay for the outfits it really is nothing to do with me.

It's not a term I use, but it honestly doesn't bother me. And I love the concept of rainbow bridge. I don't believe in heaven, but if there was one, that's what I'd want it to look like.

Dogs should be respected for the species they are. They are not little humans but some people treat them as such.

Referring to any pet as a baby (fur or otherwise) irritates me.
I’ve just read a post on our local Facebook page about a dog that was attacked by another dog in the park.
Horrible though it must have been for the dog and owner, the many posts about the ‘poor darling baby’ had steam coming out of my ears. 😡

It is an irritating phrase, isn’t it?
Also why are we seeing so many dogs being pushed around in a ‘dog pram’?

It seems to be fashionable now to use any mode of transport for these pampered creatures.
Which reminds me….. apparently Martina Navratilova was turned away from the Vine in Wimbledon when she tried to walk in with her dog in her handbag 😮

Good on the Vine though for sticking to their no dogs policy, regardless of how high profile the customer was.

Finger-down-throat icon required!

Really irritates me too!

Agree, plain daft. Same as those who call their very adult dogs 'puppy' or 'pup'. I so love dogs, always have always will, and my dogs are so much part of the family, but they are dogs.

Why ‘fur babies’?

Do dogs have ‘fur’?

I thought they had ‘hair’. ‘Dog hairs’ etc.

Whatever, I agree, a ridiculous phrase. And like BlueBelle, absolutely no need for dogs to be out all the time with owners.

Leave them at home occasionally.

To be honest, I’ve heard of the phrase but never heard anybody actually say it.

Its the meaning that surrounds it, that a pet is a child to be treated like a child.

Personally having had my my much loved children and brought them up to be independent, the last thing I want is an animal to cramp my freedom the way a baby does.

Neither are phrases that I use, but if others do, it doesn’t harm me or anyone else come to that.

Yep, I completely agree! It’s a revolting phrase/term… You’re not grumpy, you’re discerning…

Surely the choice of the individual, I certainly wouldn’t, my choice