Posted on 12/16/2022 12:08:40 PM PST by nickcarraway
DEAR ABBY: My sister doesn’t want children. I fully support her decision, and I’m happy she knows herself well enough to make it. She does, however, have what she refers to as her “fur babies.” She has a wonderful, generous heart and is very charitable. My children have been blessed by their aunt’s generosity.
SEE ALSO Couple holding two parts of broken heart. Dear Abby: My wife left me for my best man My issue is: Lately, she has made a few comments about how I don’t bring holiday gifts for her dogs. It’s remarks like, “Well, my fur babies don’t get gifts from their aunt.” Am I missing something here? Should I feel guilty for not adding her pets to my gift list because she considers them equal in value to human children? I can’t think of her dogs like I do my nieces and nephews. Am I wrong? — AUNT OF FUR BABIES?
DEAR AUNT: You may not consider your sister’s dogs as equal to human children, but she does. Gift-giving is supposed to be reciprocal. Your sister has been generous with your children, and you now know it bothers her that her “fur babies” have been overlooked. When the next gift-giving cycle rolls around (I hear there are great sales going on now) drop by a pet store. It is the kind thing to do, and it shouldn’t break the bank.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
Dear Abby should also remind her to contribute to a 529 for their education.
How do the fir babies identify?
Give her gift cards to a Korean restaurant...................
The fir babies fancy themselves Christmas trees and demand to be decorated.
Dear Aunt, your sister is a nutjob. Does she also insist on personalized pronouns for the mutts?
Spruce, except for the one that insists on being called "Douglas"
How about a 1 # bar of Hershey’s chocolate?
It’s part and parcel with all the other mental problems people have that we MUST validate or be considered insensitive.
Sorry, homey don’t play dat.
I have two cats whose company I greatly enjoy, but there is something I find repellent and repulsive in the term “Fur Babies”.
Anyone who refers to their pet as a “Fur Baby” will at very least get raised eyebrows from me...
Jeez, you don’t have to engage in a delusion. But I DO by little treats for my kids pets and some other friend’s pets.
I love my dog. She is not my kid. She is my dog—but I care for her. More than most people. If someone wanted to buy her a chew toy….I am OK with that.
Even my bank gives gifts to my dog.
That explains the sign on the gate that says “Beware of Doug”.
Why do I need to conform to another person's delusions? It's not the gift-giving I'd object to (I don't mind spending a few bucks on someone's pet if I wanted to do something nice) but why do I have to pretend to lose my grip on reality just because someone else has? That's called enabling and it's just the same as lying.
Dear Aunt of Fur Babies,
Dump your current sister and find a new one. There are plenty of sisters in the sea.
Abbey
My dog isn’t christian. I only buy him religious themed gifts, hoping he’ll agree to get baptized. So far he mostly just chews them up. But some day ....
Recognizing someone’s feelings isn’t ‘conforming’ to them. Families tolerate all sorts of stuff in one another. I think the advice on this was correct - now that she knows how her sister feels, what’s the harm in extending herself a little? It’s just kindness.
Spruce, except for the one that insists on being called “Douglas”
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LOL! I didn’t get it until I realized the typo. Although “Spruce” and “Douglas” are pretty good names for dogs.
Well said.
All of us who have pets, love our pets. But our pets are not our children, and our pets are not people. We don’t think of them on the same level as we do our fellow human beings.
But as we see, some people do put pets on the same level as people. We don’t have to buy into that.
scratch behind their ears and call them a good boy... no gift necessary.
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