Are they 'pets' or 'animals'?

This is a very interesting discussion ...what does distinguish an animal as a pet and what does that actually mean to you? Hmmm, well I do have pets dog and cats and I keep fish also.

I guess if pressed I'd have to say they are pets even though I don't call them that or really think of them in the same way I do my dog and cat. A pet to me is any animal that you keep and maintain its environment and see to their health even if they don't ask for affection like a dog or cat so yes my fish are pets.

However if something happened to my dog I'd cry for weeks and mourn forever however if one of my pet fishes dies I would be very disappointed and mourn the loss of one of my beautiful fishes miss their offspring and beauty but I wouldn't cry.... so there is a difference.

Weird...I am going to give this more thought!
 
I have animals in my dwelling that I've befriended. My dog is special because of how dependant she can be. Fish like my celestial pearl danios, and others who don't care much except if they're scared, I enjoy watching, but don't have too much connection to. I'll be sad if they die, but it's like reading a name in an obituary who you don't know. Not a real impression, unless the situation was very unfair. I don't "keep animals", I live with them and provide, and hopefully get to trade their offspring for some pocket money ;)

-Bryce
 
i may sound crazy by saying this........ lol.

i call my fish my 'finkids', and as far as caring for them and making sure they are 'happy' and healthy, i do whatever is needed. in my house the only thing that is more important than my finkids is my human kid.

i've been known to pull an all nighter because one of the tanks needed watched due to an ill fish. i've been known to change water at 2 am because that is the only spare time in which to do it (as opposed to waiting until another free time period happens). i read the labels on fish food at the store before i buy any, and don't bother reading labels on my human food, lol.

so yeah, my fish are kinda like children to me. they can't take care of themselves so i make sure they are taken care of.
 
Being a dairy farmer I have over 500 animals depending upon me for their every need 24hrs a day, and I do everything within my power to provide them with the best care possible. Most of these animals are just that "animals". They are an itegral part of my lifestyle and they provide me with what I need to survive and pay the bills(most of the time). Giving them anything but the best care would not only be unethical but I would be shooting myself in the foot, as I need them just as they need me. However if I were to consider them pets I would simply not be able to stay in business.

My fish are another story. I have fish simply because I want to have fish. I have never sold one and got back even what I have put into it in food. Nevermind time, energy, electricity, and such. They are just simply somthing I keep for pure enjoyment, no matter how much of a bad financial decision this may be. I think that I consider them my pets because of this.

In conclusion I have to get up to go to work in precisly 3hrs 35 minutes and have been up for nearly 21 hrs. So I appologize in advance if this rant has been utterly pointless and impossible to follow. Good Night!
 
It really depends on the animal..if it interacts and genuinely seems to know or recognize me then its a pet..if it can interact and communicate..witch most fish cant...

i have a sculpin who recognizes me, and knows how to ask for food she even knows her food bowl for thawing foods and gets excited when she sees it...to me she is a pet but all of my guppies are just fish...my 9 year old dog is more than 'pet' or even a child shes more of a familiar.. and my kitten is definitely a pet ^_^.

This question is kind of broad..and i think its different from person to person.
 
For me, I don't really enter into the typical pet-to-owner relationship with any animal under my care. At the same time, ask msjinkzd how many times I PM'd her because of the multies I bought from her, both before and after purchasing, because I take a LOT of interest in making sure that I know how to care for these animals properly. I'm also the type to walk around an ant on the sidewalk. But they're still animals to me. Dog, cat, fish, or whatever. Do I enjoy the company of the ones that can respond in a more personal way? Yes. Do I like watching the fish and find myself fascinated by their behaviour? Definitely. Are they 'pets'? Probably by definition, but not in my mind. To me they're all just animals. Some 'wild' that I create a home for within my home, some domesticated that are able to actually share a living space with me, and so share in my life as well.

If that makes any sense...
 
Depends on the fish. My black moor is most definitely a pet, but my molly fry are animals. Technically, both the moor, the fry, and the cats are animals, and so are humans, but emotionally the moor is a pet, like the cat. Anything I name is a pet, definitely :)
 
Although this is an old thread that has been revived, I think the opinions expressed have remained the same even today. We may classify them as "pets" or "animals", use the labels interchangeably, or even classify them as animals that we keep as a pet. Me, I call them "My Hobby".

I think that to call them a pet, we have a connection of some fashion with them, even if it's a one-way connection. I don't think the classification of any type really matters if we spend time caring for them.
 
well said excuzzeme!
 
toddhgr said:
Being a dairy farmer I have over 500 animals depending upon me for their every need 24hrs a day, and I do everything within my power to provide them with the best care possible. Most of these animals are just that "animals". They are an itegral part of my lifestyle and they provide me with what I need to survive and pay the bills(most of the time). Giving them anything but the best care would not only be unethical but I would be shooting myself in the foot, as I need them just as they need me. However if I were to consider them pets I would simply not be able to stay in business.

My fish are another story. I have fish simply because I want to have fish. I have never sold one and got back even what I have put into it in food. Nevermind time, energy, electricity, and such. They are just simply somthing I keep for pure enjoyment, no matter how much of a bad financial decision this may be. I think that I consider them my pets because of this.

In conclusion I have to get up to go to work in precisly 3hrs 35 minutes and have been up for nearly 21 hrs. So I appologize in advance if this rant has been utterly pointless and impossible to follow. Good Night!
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Very well said!
 
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