Just wondering what everyone considers/calls yourself (and others) in regards to pets. I've always used "owner" but never liked the connotation of the animal as a possession that it brings. But I've never found a word I like better. And while I do use "mom" to refer to myself when talking to the animals, I don't like using "parent" when talking to other people as it suggests I dress my animals up in outfits, etc. And "guardian" just sounds foo-foo to me. "Leader" is too authoritarian in my mind. "Alpha" is just egotistical and overbearing. "Companion" is too wussy. "Friend" is too casual. I see my animals as family. I keep them out of danger, I keep them healthy, etc, but I don't control them (or I do so as little as possible). So what does everyone else use and why? Are you happy with the descriptor you use? Have you never really thought about it? Should we make up a new word completely? And for the record, I never use "fur baby" or call my animals "my children". I use "kids" rarely for young animals. Mostly I call them my dogs, cats and bird or "the critters" or "my animals".
Mate in the US is more of a romantic term than it is elsewhere. But in it's non-US definition, I can see it representing a tighter bond than "friend" which would be more fitting in my mind.
Very similar Toed. To people that I know well, I would say I am her Mum, and Tally is often shortened to Tal. To the wider world I would say that I own Tally, but I do share your feeling about the word. She definitely isn't a Fur Baby though!
Tikva is my wubble and I am her mummy. Except when she ignores me and I say "Look at your Mother when she is talking to you." Amit is daddy. Ram is Uncle Ram. But: Ask Tikva and she will say that she is the Boss and everyone else are her servants.
I think that's part of why I don't really like "owner" - it doesn't acknowledge the relationship from the animal's point of view. They certainly don't see themselves as possessions. It's like playing "fetch". To the animals, they aren't fetching the ball for you. You are throwing the ball for them. Fetch is a misnomer. I call it "throw the ball" because Tornado-dog is the instigator and he sees it that way - throw the ball so I can chase it, not throw the ball so I can bring it to you. The bringing it to you is only so you can throw it again - not the purpose of the game. There's patron, protector, shepherd, etc. But none of them really fit either. I think a new word is in order.
