Pets are the New Children

I was initially going to write about the doggy-parents in my neighborhood who let their mongrels run off leash all over our property, thinking it's perfectly acceptable to let Fido sniff my crotch in the elevator and run away with my freshly-grilled hot dog on the communal patio. I was going to write about how irresponsible they are to let their dogs have full command of our communal spaces like parents who take their wailing toddler to a quiet restaurant. But then I thought about my own pet situation and decided I'm just as crazy as them, but in a different way. Read on!

Much has been made of the obsession Americans have with their pets. Pet ownership in this country has been elevated to parental status. Petsmarts and Petcos have popped up like Starbucks. We're referred to as "parents" or "caretakers" instead of "owners" when we go to the vet. Doggie Day Care seems like a reasonable idea to many of us and pet-sitters, vets, and pet stores are all raking in the dough we're willing to shell out to provide Fido and Fluffy with the best products and services imaginable.

I have two cats and love them dearly. I would do many things for them, and have. After making them indoor-only cats on the advice of many vets and websites, my husband and I have soldiered through eye ulcers, urinary tract infections, and maintaining the beach that is a litter box for two enormous cats that are really meant to be outside doing their deeds. In the last three years that they've been indoors, I'd estimate we've spent $5,000 on their upkeep. And that's just the vet bills, people. I'm not even keeping track of the cost of litter and other things required to amuse two guys who used to hunt snakes for entertainment. Honestly, they've had many more problems since becoming indoor cats. When they lived outside, we slapped some flea meds on them each month, took them in yearly for a checkup and shots, and sent them out the cat door. Since they've been inside, we've made six emergency vet trips, two overnighters, three annual exams, and been to countless follow-up appointments for chronic conditions. It makes me wonder if the arguement for indoor cats comes from the best interest of the cat, or the myriad providers that stand to make millions on pet care, medication, and services this year.

Some think we've gone to far. One of them is author Jon Katz, who appeared on Talk of the Nation yesterday to share his opinions on how much is too much when it comes to how we project feelings and emotions on our pets, burrowing further into our relationships with them to escape our own detachment from society and other humans. We've lost the working relationship humans had with animals and replaced it with a human-to-human relationship. Many owners called in to share their pet stories and vet nightmares and how far they've gone to save a favorite pet. A story worth listening to especially if, like me, you've recently spent $2K saving a cat from kidney failure and are wondering if it was the right thing to do. I mean, how does the cat feel when he has to stay in a hospital for 3 days? How does he feel as I'm chasing him down every night to administer IV fluids? How much longer could he live functioning on his own and is it the right thing to do to keep him alive? What about the vet that looked at me like I was crazy to broach the subject of euthanasia during the most recent emergency stay?

The culture of Americans and their animals is something I've become extremely interested in over the last few years as I've been through this trying experience with my own pets. Maybe it will lead to some type of research project in the future.