Do Pet Owners Have The Right To Call Themselves Parents?

Not long ago, an article entitled, “Pets Are Not Children, So Stop Calling Them That” appeared on The Cut. The post garnered 929 comments directly to the page, not to mention the countless readers who weighed in on the issue via social media. While many expressed their ability to understand both sides of the argument, the majority of responses drew clear battle lines between the two poles of opinion. We live in a world where the definition of “parent” has been stretched and redefined over and over again to fit our modern families. With step-parents, birth parents, surrogate parents, adoptive parents, foster parents, and extended family and friends acting as primary caregivers to children, is it really such a crime to allow the most dedicated of pet owners in on the term? After all, isn’t it the level of dedication to the job that truly makes a parent? Since this topic certainly seems to touch a nerve, let’s explore The Cut‘s article a bit further using direct quotes from the author. Point One: “When people call themselves pet “parents,” they’re not just being playful. They sincerely believe that what they’re doing is parenthood.” A recent study by Rover.com found that 94% of Americ...