The rise of pet parenthood

Let’s face it: somewhere along the way, pets stopped being just animals and became full-fledged members of the family.

They’ve gone from sleeping in the backyard to sleeping in the bed, from eating scraps to gourmet meals, and from wagging their tails to wearing sweaters.

In fact, pets are now treated so much like children that you half expect them to enrol in preschool. But how did we get here? Is it utter madness?

Gone are the days of dogs named Spot and cats named Whiskers. Now, we’ve got pets named after historical figures, celebrities, or trendy baby names.

It’s like we’re prepping them for a future where pets have last names, identity numbers and their own seats at a family dinner.

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At some point, someone decided it wasn’t enough for pets to simply have fur. Oh no.

Pets needed outfits – and not just any outfits, seasonal outfits. Summer wear, winter coats, Halloween costumes and even tiny pyjamas for bed.

Remember when pets ate pet food and were happy about it? Now you’ll find people whipping up gourmet meals for their pets that include ingredients like organic chicken, fresh fish and sweet potatoes.

Meanwhile, their human kids are over in the corner eating microwaved TV-meals. Priorities.

Once you’ve treated your pet like a child, the next logical step is to give them the medical care of a human baby.

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Annual check ups, dental cleaning and even “wellness plans” are part of the pet parent’s life. But hey, nothing says “I love you” like scheduling your dog’s acupuncture session while you ignore that weird pain in your own knee.

When pets became kids, apparently, they also became too good for walking on their own four legs.

Enter the pet stroller. These contraptions let dogs and cats roll through the street in style, perched like little royalty while humans do all the work.

In some cases, pets are being treated so much like children that they’re actually named as beneficiaries in wills.

So, while the rest of us are working 9-to-5 and saving for retirement, Fluffy Fiona is sitting pretty with a trust fund. How do you even explain that to your own family? “Sorry, bro, but Orwell’s getting my house.”

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So, why do we treat pets like children? The answer is simple: because we love them. Pets bring joy, companionship and unconditional love. And, honestly, if that means dressing my dog in a fancy outfit for the family get-together this year – so be it.