Sorry. Edited my post to clarify that the rest of it was replying to the OP and hangups on terminology. I put in more spaces between the paragraphs but they didn’t translate.
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We have a regular sit where the hosts always refer to their dogs as ‘the girls’ We’ve had ‘the boys’ too at other sits. I don’t mind those terms, or doggo, reminds me of kiddo which is affectionate.
But when listings say things like “we are a family of 6 with 4 children- 2 human kids and 2 furry ones” OR “I am a devoted parent to two gorgeous fur babies”… I inwardly cringe and scroll on..
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It’s the magical system whereby people who didn’t intend to have cats, end up with cats. Also known as “when the Universe gives you a cat”. 
AnarCats on X: “The cat distribution system at work. Random occurence driven by universal forces. You can’t stop that. You can’t resist that. It’s destiny. 
https://t.co/6tgTthJyqZ” / X
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This is a universal truth, for sure. TY for sharing!
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I’m with @MerryPuppins . Unneccessary divisive for me. There is so much divisiveness between many nowadays (and forces in the world that actively trigger it for their own reasons), so I try to find common ground more often.
As long as it is nice, the owners might refer to the pets as they like.
What I have avoided, is pet practices I don’t agree with. I won’t do to other pets what I would consider bad for my own pet. I try to be a good person (and sometimes fail), and not to let others, hosts incl. , make me do otherwise.
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Apologies to any that found issue with OP question. It was not intended as somehow divisive. Rather to illustrate remarkable diversity in approaches to pet relationship. And that fit between pet parent, pet and housesitter is important. As housesitters, through experience then we have come to understand our preferences more clearly. Thankfully the housesitter community is extremely diverse in situations and preferences. Something for everyone out there.
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I don’t think it’s any kind of flag! While I might not like the term fur baby, I constantly refer to one of my cats as baby cat. Mainly because I can pick him up in my arms and carry him around like a baby. I also worry about him nearly as much as I worry about my kids (not unwarranted!) Hopefully no potential sitters will judge me on that 
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My experience has been the owners who call their pets furbabies have been high maintenance, much like their pets. It’s a huge 
for me and I keep on swiping. No thanks, I don’t need that stress.
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I am with you 100%
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I think it’s cute to say fur baby, doggy or kitty. Or all kinds of names. If you want to be serious and proper at all times, perhaps animals are not the company you are looking for? Or look for a serious and proper animal that only wants to respond to its given name, preferably something like “Ernest”.
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I think it was a good and interesting question, just some of the responses rub me up the wrong way. Always some judgemental keyboard warriors lurking somewhere in forums like these (not naming names)
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Not my experience at all.
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As @andrealovesanimals I didn’t mind at all the OP, more the results in the topic after the OP. 
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Obviously a preference thing . I hate that term.
My best friend used, "My little lamb’s lettuce, " as a term of endearment !
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Add to that " fluffer nutter" !!! One could go either direction with THAT term !
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I’m going to hold my hands up and say that I call my cat “fluffernutter” in a silly high pitched voice when he’s being especially cute 
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As you should !!!
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I do love how pets bring out some of the silliest terms that most people have ever uttered!
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I don’t hate the lingo at all, it’s cute!
But I have learned that people who are too attached to their pets, maybe anxiously attached or “helicopter parents”, make for very high-maintenance HOs on this platform. They have far less boundaries with the pets leading (sometimes) to spoiled and misbehaved animals, and they seem to have less boundaries with the sitter as well.
Perhaps they should not be on this platform at all? And maybe not leaving their pets with others at all?
It’s a lesson I’m learning as we speak. So yes maybe something to sus out a bit more in initial convos—how hovering they are with their “kids”. It’s totally okay to love your pets like family. But you also need to train them how to socialize, how to manage themselves, and prepare them for a sitter. And society
You know?
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