Piper is supporting his team. Go Dawgs!

I love this crazy little cat. Sunshine!

I was trying to tell my son his Attack on Titans cape came in a silly way (over text, hence the photo). His cat is NOT amused.

"I know there are people who disagree on dressing up pets"

You got it right. This is something I don't get. I can't help but think this a form of "humanization" of pets, treating them as surrogate human children. Something that sadly many people do. Especially with little dogs.

This is my Rottie. She came to us fully dressed by mother nature in a beautiful black and tan coat.

One persons's 'cute' is another person's *stupid and inhumane*. No animal welcomes this kind of attention.

I put a tshirt on my dog when it gets cold out. Her breed originated in Scotland and we live in the frozen tundra of New York.

I can assure you she "welcomes" this attention.

Animals which originated in warm places (like a chihuahua for example) can find northern climates unpleasant. Greyhounds have very little body fat and also easily get cold.

Inhumane is too strong of a word to describe the situation, in my opinion. Some pets welcome it, others don't. If you want to call it stupid, that is obviously your right. However I'm not going to let my dog shiver so you can feel better about a situation that doesn't involve you in any way.

Cute if not overdone. Like much of life....!

My tongue is bleeding!

Hey elmer, what if I'm just doing it to irritate his cat? Which is a double fun thing, because it irritates the boy. I don't think he's human or my child. I think he's an irritating cat. Too fun to chide him

If you're asking for my reaction, I'd say it's unfair and cruel to do something (however minor) to the cat finds unpleasant or just not wanted. The reason why doesn't matter.

I don't like cats at all, I'd never have one in my house, and I find it disgusting when visiting people who have cats when they allow them on kitchen counters. Let's see, the paws are in the litter box, then walking across the counter where you put food down for dinner? No thanks, lets go out.

But I'd also never knowingly do anything unkind to a cat or take an action the cat wouldn't like.

I'd also never a son "the boy". Especially not one who I suspect in your case is big enough to pick you up and throw you across a room. Everyone is different.

It was seconds and it was a joke. He's treated well, and I was kidding. You're far too serious about this.

And he knows he's MY boy. Fondness makes it ok. He's well aware of my euphemisms. Communication matters.

Dressing up a pet isn't my thing, but I don't see any harm in it if the pet doesn't mind. When I was a kid we used to dress up the cat and push her around in my doll sized baby buggy. She usually fell asleep in mid-purr.

As an adult, I'll admit to tying a bandana around the dogs' neck on Halloween night. They pranced around all proud the way dogs do when they find something that's dead or rotting, so I think they were ok with it.

rob, I think you've said your job is at a workplace with lots of IT going on. You know that one needs to be careful with emails and other written communication, they can be easily misunderstood because unlike in-person communication, there are none of the non-verbal communication elements. No facial expressions, no vocal intonations, no body language, etc. Posts in threads are the same and the shorter they are, the easier to misunderstand.

If your sentiments are misunderstood/misinterpreted, that's on you, not the reader. Easy enough for you to deal with. Or not, as you choose.

No. I am not involved with IT at all. Don't even speak that language well. I'm heavily into scientific research administration. My son is into Biomedical Informatics. Did a stint as a University intern, while in high school. And he's even been my little fellar or LF. He knows. And that's what matters. He's more than fine with it because we communicate and respect each other. Including my chiding of his cat. It's all in fun.

I asked him specifically, and he says what? Why would that (pet names) bother me?

ETA: he's inherited my smart mouth "Shockingly, I'm secure enough that I know I'm a man withiut being told I am. I know, crazy." (Full sarcasm)

An unintended demonstration of my point.

By lots of IT going on, I was suggesting you weren't at a workplace with decades old or no technology. Email, databases, internal data processing systems, maybe work with external ones too, yada yada. Implying, communicating with just typed words at a distance isn't something you're unfamiliar with. I wasn't suggesting you were in the IT department, just saying that you've said you work someplace where the computer systems were reasonably modern and you use them. And so you understand how a briefly worded comment can be misunderstood. Or maybe you don't.

No. I fully get it.

I would never hurt any children or animals. I knowingly wouldn’t hurt anyone at all, but especially not those I view as innocents.

I’m somewhat taken aback by some commentary.

This is just purely for some little bit of joy in life. It’s really nothing serious. I for one have way more serious things going on.

On another note, as a girl I spent many summers at my relatives farms in a very rural area. There are all kinds of cats and dogs. Some would never tolerate such harmless nonsense, but house cats

and dogs are different.

My cat, by the way, is the third in my life. The first, Ruby was an indoor/outdoor cat. She wouldn’t put up with this kind of stuff. Second one, lived for over sixteen years. She was poorly treated before we took her in. She wasn’t ever quite right, but we would never have gotten rid of her because we took our commitment to give her a home to heart.

We went to a shelter 12 years ago. Sunshine was one of three kittens that were found abandoned. She is 100% house cat. If we step out on the deck, she meows at us to come back. If we open the door for her, she will not come out.

By the way, having a cat or dog has nothing to do with having a clean house. You either keep it clean or you don’t.

Our fur baby is rocking a cone of shame after having surgery to remove a tumor on his front wrist. Still haven’t got the results back, but keeping fingers and toes crossed.

I hope he’s ok soon. He’s so cute!

Aw, poor baby. I wish him a full and speedy recovery.

When our dog had to wear one of those (for months), we decorated it with stickers. Our vet loved it, and if I was around when another dog had to get one, would ask me to show our dog wearing her cone to other clients so that they could see that their dog would adjust. Dogs are just so pitiful when they first get one. She (the dog, not the vet) got really good at maneuvering in it especially bashing the backs of our legs on purpose.

Pitiful. Pathetic. He just stands there with these sad eyes. I feel so bad for him. Thinking about adding some colorful turkey feathers for Thanksgiving.

He'll get used to it, nhbaskets. Just give him a couple of days.

It is so very hard to watch them when the cone is new. They must be wondering why their humans are being so mean to them. Makes me ask myself which is worse in their minds - putting a tie or tshirt on them for a short while or making them wear a cone 24/7 for days, weeks or months.

And, yes, I do understand that the cone is a medical necessity, but the dog doesn't.

I don't dress my dogs in party clothes but they each have a nice heavy plaid coat for cold weather like today's walk on the AT in 37-degree temps. The dachshund's is red and the Boston Terrier mix's is blue to match their collars and leashes. I cannot imagine putting clothes on my three cats although Piper might let me. Of all the 18 cats I've had in my lifetime, after six months, she has risen to the top of the pack. There is no sweeter cat alive and she was rescued from a hoarders house and spent four months in a cage at the Humane Society.

Lily, have we seen pictures of Piper?

Actually the cone is a good counter example to the nastiness upthread. Sometimes pets need to endure things they may have not chosen for themselves. Collars, harnesses, exams, shots, bathing and grooming, dressings, bandages, eye drops, pills.....You get the idea.

Putting a hat or t-shirt on a pet is teaching it things which can come in useful in other situations. Doing something to a cat just because you know it annoys it is not kind. However putting a jacket on a cold dog is hardly inhumane.

This was a cute thread. Some people should watch The Grinch more and post less.

Inhumane is too strong of a word to describe the situation, in my opinion. Some pets welcome it, others don't. If you want to call it stupid, that is obviously your right. However I'm not going to let my dog shiver so you can feel better about a situation that doesn't involve you in any way.

Nor should you let yourself be upset. There is a ton of criticism here about what other people wear, let alone animals. Royal weddings for instance bring this sort of sartorial judgment almost to a martial art. And the black belts firmly believe that their view is the correct view.

I think some of the outfits are adorable. Those who want to foam and gnash can knock themselves out.

NHB - hope your pup feels better soon. We used the "Cone of Entitlements" with our Yorkie. She got carried everywhere, hand fed and babied as soon as she got home. It took her less than 24 hours to come to love the Cone of Entitlements.....so much so that the would dip her head back into it!

We lost her in January and are still devastated, but here's a photo of how she would not eat her food until we held it for her.

On a happier note, we've added two new rescues to our family. When they wear their sweaters (they get cold), I call them Pizza-Pizza and Mrs Taco. Otherwise they are Cricket and Betty.

Lily, your cats are both beautiful. Piper has such pretty markings.

That's a nice way to look at it Lucille.

It's one thing to post such comments on a thread that's involving lots of opinions. The support animal one is a good example. It's commentary on an article or a public situation so one expects to hear all sorts of things. Or heck, the royal wedding...I doubt the monarchy is reading posts here, you know?

But here we've got a light hearted thread filled with proud pet parents showing photos of their obviously well loved furballs - and someone thought it appropriate to take it from fun and giggles, straight to telling people they are STUPID. To their face. People shared pieces of their real lives here and they got slapped for it. The self-important rudeness is appalling. Save such pearls of wisdom for the threads discussing societal issues or news articles, etc.. What's next, telling people their babies are ugly too?

I don't believe in dressing up dogs. I don't care if other people do but think it's silly. My daughter is into it. I'm not. The most I or my dogs will tolerate is when they come home from being groomed with those bandanas on. They last a day or two before they are torn off by the dogs.

pb32, say I start a thread:

"I have a very active dog and his energy is very annoying. I find if I give him food and water only in the evening once every third day, he's much calmer on days 2 and 3. Let me know if you do the same thing, otherwise, I don't care what your view is".

More than a little bit of an extreme overstatement but I hope you see the point. No one was foaming and gnashing. Those who don't like to encounter people who disagree with their own views or practices should never speak to others, whether it's those they know or those they don't.

Oh, and just between you and me, I think it's disrespectful to dogs and cats to refer to their human guardians as "pet parents". That's my opinion. It seems like another example of surrogate humanizing. They're not children.

But here we've got a light hearted thread filled with proud pet parents showing photos of their obviously well loved furballs - and someone thought it appropriate to take it from fun and giggles, straight to telling people they are STUPID. To their face. People shared pieces of their real lives here and they got slapped for it.

I've sat around a lot of irl kitchen tables, and I've never seen a situation where one person calls another stupid over a pet outfit.

I doubt the monarchy is reading posts here, you know?

Hi Liz!!!

You're a kind soul Lucille. Thank you. :)

There are approximately a million different kinds of posts here at the KT.

There are posts which just beg for a spirited debate. We get links to articles, rants about people out in public, the WWYD posts, and hey isn't my family stupid, you'll never guess what they did now. (LOL.) I actually really enjoy a good debate and am often willing to wade into the mix as long as no one gets their feathers too ruffled by just reading an opposing viewpoint.

The difference there is that those are often "academic" discussions in a way - meaning the people and/or situations we're debating are not actually participating in the discussion.

However when people are sharing real parts of their real lives - whether it's a picture of their baby, or their new furball, their newest craft, or their new home - it is entirely possible to just scroll on by the thread if you can't be kind. Absolutely no one needs to be told they are stupid for loving a pet. Even if in your esteemed opinion they are "loving" the pet too much, or in the wrong way, or whateverthefrack it is that you find so objectionable about the way they are happily living their life.

This:

"However when people are sharing real parts of their real lives - whether
it's a picture of their baby, or their new furball, their newest craft,
or their new home - it is entirely possible to just scroll on by the
thread if you can't be kind. Absolutely no one needs to be told they are
stupid for loving a pet. Even if in your esteemed opinion they are
"loving" the pet too much, or in the wrong way, or whateverthefrack it
is that you find so objectionable about the way they are happily living
their life."

I think many people, including me, love their pets more than they do some people.

There was a time in my life where I was quicker to judge and always so very sure of what was right. The older I get the less I feel that way.

I have never referred to any of my cats as my “fur baby “. So what if someone does? Why should it bother me? It’s harmless.

It takes all kinds. So in a moment of whimsy, I took my Halloween scarf off my neck and put it on my cat like a babushka, just for fun. She didn’t mind a single bit.

It’s ok. My daughter found the tiny sunglasses. We put them on Sunshine for a picture which we find amusing.

Jeeeez.

Stop raining on the parade.

Here is Duchess in a cute dress and my grand baby.

Beautiful! Looks like Duchess doesn’t mind one single bit.

They are both absolutely adorable Lucille. I love photos of furkids and human kids together twice as much. :)

I recently saw a photo of a dog wearing a pool noodle necklace instead of a cone. His owner said the dog was much more comfortable than in a cone.