I look at them like family.

My Libby (pound hound) has only been with us for about a month now and she is already spoiled as heck. She gets lots of treats and sleeps on my bed with me. I can't have children yet because I'm in school still so she is my baby...but there is a fine line between spoiling an animal and treating it like a person i think. Libby is definitely a dog and a very happy one at that

Animals are a part of the family to an extent, I wouldn't go as far for a pet as I would for my kids, my kids are way more important to me than a pet would be. If one of my kids was really sick, I would do whatever it takes to get them well, if a pet is really sick I feel it's better to let them go after a certain point so they won't suffer and also so my bank account doesn't suffer.

My dog, back when she was still alive, considered herself to be human. For the most part, she was treated like a pet, but my grandparents would spoil her and she knew that she could get away with stuff with them.
the funny thing is, is that my grandparents at first were not used to having dogs inside, they used to live on a farm and treated the dogs they had like working dogs and never spoiled them. But once they got used to Queenie, a small Jack russell terrier, they spoiled her to death. Everyone else, pretty much treated her like a pet, loved but not overly spoiled.

Our cat is a strange creature, but that's how cats are. He'll wake people up in the morning to get them to let him out or just to watch him eat his breakfast. That can be annoying. I always argue with him, and ignore him for a few minutes before I get up and let him out. And if he's complaining about being able to see the bottom of his bowl, I argue with him and just leave it be so he'll finish what's there. Seriously, our cat feels like it's the boss of everyone in the house. Kind of like Garfield. Some cat.

Both of my pets, I've seen as a part of the family, but not so much that they warrant a ton of spoiling or overindulging in.

When I was growing up we always had pets - over the years my home saw 6 different dogs, 5 different cats, uncounted hamsters and white mice, fish, an iguana, and a bird.

Each one of those pets hold a special place in our hearts - (well . . .maybe not the fish or mice) - they were not quite family status - but they were more than just a pet.

I know when my Muffin was hit by a car - we still don't know how she got out of the yard - I spent days crying - and when I had to put Rose to sleep (her liver failed on us :( ) I cried all the way home from the vet and we buried her in the back yard.


Treating a pet as equal to a child is a little strange to me - but I also think that pets should be involved in the family and be more than just a minor distraction/ annoyance.

Let's put it this way. I took my bunny to the vet for an operation that would make him more comfortable but wasn't 100% needed for him to survive and then spend the next week on one meal a day of instant noodles because after the vets bill I couldn't afford more than that until pay day.

I think I'd say that I view my babies as well....my babies...

I treat the family pets just like they were members of the family. My big boxer, AJ, is like a brother, and my little Jack Russel is more like a little daughter. They get special treats, just like everyone else in the house, when Mom goes grocery shopping for the month, they have their own toys, and we even leave the living room TV on when we leave for the day on Animal Planet for them to watch xD

I think spoiling your pets is around the same limit as spoiling a kid. I mean, hell, what is a dog going to do with a diamond-encrusted collar that one can't do with normal collar :|

I have turtles. <3 two of them named May and Angel.

There's this commercial on chinese tv (TVB) about turtle essence and my family changes the channel or yells at it whenever it is on!

Our whole family gets out and searches whenever I lose Angel T_T

My dad and lil sis plays with them because the turtles like them, while I'm only their feeder T_T

Yep. My turtles are pretty close to family in my house.

• Bleh, I don't currently have pets... curse the short lifespans of hamsters. ;__;
  But when I do, they are precious. They are more than family.
  Having pets has always kept me saner; I can always take care of a cute, innocent little hamster when I don't have the motivation to take care of myself. It makes me feel good to know that this tiny creature trusts me and depends on me to nurture it. My family can be just fine and dandy without me, but pets, they make me feel worthy and needed.

Pets should be loved and cared for, and are a member of the family, in their own way. But they're not like a human member of the family.

In my opinion, obviously.

It's 11:30 pm. I spent most of yesterday and today travelling to and from my sisters house, so I'm really tired.
I wanted to go to bed at 10pm.
Oscar (my dog) is lying across to whole of the bed. So I can't get in to bed to sleep.
Instead of shouting at him to move or pushing him over to his side of the bed... I'm sitting here attempting not to fall asleep on the keyboard because he looks all sleepy and cute lying there and I'd feel bad disturbing him.
:shock:
If it was a human sharing my bed and they were on my side of the bed, I'd either roll them over to their side, or if it was my ex I'd pour cold water on him :D
I think maybe I rate my dog as being more important than humans

I consider my pets as friends. I like independent pets because I'm too lazy to do much with them. But I think they should be given high quality food, and a comfortable place to sleep and lounge and they should have toys and their rights should be considered. So I guess I see them as something similar to a child in my care. For the most part I think the ideal relationship is that they provide for themselves and we enjoy eachothers' company. But, to a large extent pets CAN'T provide for themselves, so they need help. Like children.

Originally Posted by Cherry Flavored Antacid

Pets should be loved and cared for, and are a member of the family, in their own way. But they're not like a human member of the family.

In my opinion, obviously.

I agree. After all, you can go pick up your little brother any time you feel like it and pet him on the head (well, except the little brothers that like it when you do that, of course).

I quite like animals, and I like having animal friends. In fact, I tend to be more friendly towards cat strangers than human strangers. My kitty at home is sort of like a son to me (I don't have kids, so I can't tell) because I raised him from birth. He is my sweetheart. I miss him. (Even though he sheds hair all over my clothes.)

Allucard - I agree, that an ideal relationship would be independence with pleasant company. I wish I could have that sort of relationship with wild animals, but that can be very dangerous, and requires more patience then I have. And as you said, unfortunately, all our domesticated animals require some level of care.

Cats and dogs are definite family members in my opinion, and dogs especially are often far better company than some family members, as they aren't judgemental and don't make constant demands.

My animals are family even my hamsters. They have nice living area that is not one of those metal cages but an actual aquarium (which is better for them anyway) and they have a lot of fluff to dig and bury with toys that get changed once a week and we feed them fresh fruits and other things. They are treated like Hamsters should be treated and a lot of people don't understand how to treat Hamsters or any small rodents. I have a mouse and we do the same thing as we do with the Hamsters incept the food is different. Those metal cages are horrible for them and so are the plastic ones. An aquarium with a mesh lid is perfect for them and makes them happy.

I also have two cats named Giz and Moe. We did have many cats and all were family. Recently one passed away from heat problems. It was ashame and I did cry and so did my mom. We have his ashes and it just helps keep him in the family.

My dog is defiantly like a human or a scared little child. His personality reminds me of a child that always craves attention and never likes to be alone. It is cute but sometimes annoying. I love my dog as well.

I've had four cats in my life (On my fourth), countless fish and a guinea pig (Now my sister has one).

The fish and the guinea pig were okay. I was the inbetween person who did the necessary things to keep them alive...until they decided "Hey I'm going to do something that'll end up killing me like eating plastic."

That cat I have NOW though is my baby. I've had her since 3rd grade and now I'm a Senior in high school. This is by far the longest I've ever had a cat. XD I do everything I can to make sure Victoria's happy. :3

I view my pets a little like tiny children. Sure, their intellect can't be compared to that of humans... but they share basic emotions and needs with us humans.

I'm very, VERY protective of my pets. When they die from old age or some other inevitable cause, I can usually move on and stay positive regarding the good times we had together. But if they become ill or die as a result of something that may have been my fault or something that could have been prevented (even if that really wasn't the case), it has a HUGE impact on me.

I remember a few years ago my dog found a way into my rabbit's fenced area and killed him. I had helped build the fencing, and I felt horribly guilty about it for quite some time, even though the fence had seemed perfectly sturdy.