Pet Parents

[Twitcher]

I have just noticed that homeowners are now classed as Pet Parents on their profile.
It is great that pets are getting a mention.
Perhaps not so good for hosts who have no pets or like a couple of sits I have just looked at that have recently tragically lost their pets.
I would hope that web designers have more pressing matters to deal with.

[Crookie]

I am one of these new “pet parents” on my listing and have no pets which is clearly indicated in my listing. Plus the fact I haven’t completed the area about the pets.

@Angela_L can you please delete this title of “pet parent” off my listing? Even though pet sitting is the majority of sits on this site, it is called Trusted HOUSE Sitters not Trusted PET Sitters.

[Angela_L]

Hi @Crookie, thank you I will feed this back to the product team …

[Colin]

I’m not keen on the terms ‘pet parent’ ‘fur baby’ etc and think many others share my opinion so I am surprised that THS have started using this term to officially describe home hosts.

[temba]

Couldn’t agree more with you @Colin. Obviously another important change made by THS😂.

[Itchyfeet]

I will not be joining in this new description of “Pet Parent”
I have said before, I never apply for a sitting where there is a description of “fur babies”

[Pips]

I feel like I’m in a tiny minority, but ‘pet parent’ and other associated words are nauseating to me.

My husband knows my deep hatred of “fur baby”, so decided to gross me out last week by flipping the term and describing me as the cat’s “skin mum”.

So horrible. I can’t stop thinking about it!

[Twitcher]

Hi @Pips - I am with you there, see my previous post.
All homeowners are now officially classed as pet parents on their profile - regardless of whether they have pets or not.
What was wrong with homeowners or hosts?
Currently we are known as sitters (as far as I know) but who knows what the future will bring.

[Lindsay]

@Pips I’m with you, complete cringe. Although I think we are in the minority as I got a bit of a reprimand for saying the same on here last year!

[Crookie]

@Twitcher Critter Sitter

[Crookie]

@Lindsay I’m a HO and a sitter and don’t have any pets. I asked for “pet parent” to be removed from my owner profile but it’s still there and I’m not happy

[anon80172330]

Totally agree @Pips and @Lindsay! The term ‘pet parent’ seems patronising to say the least. What was wrong with home owner? THS seem keen to make fix what isn’t broken, rather that actually acknowledging the concerns of its members.

[Betsy]

I wholeheartedly agree with you, but fear we’re in the minority. I won’t rule out a sit on the basis of the homeowner saying “fur babies,” but it definitely makes me wary. Same with “pet parents.” I will treat people’s pets with empathy and carefulness, give them lots of my time and be hugely interested in them, but they are still animals and someone owns them. And there’s nothing wrong with that! Animals are important in the world. We don’t have to pretend that they’re people. I want some linguistic anthropologist to study when and why those terms arose, and what they say about our society.

[anon80172330]

That would be interesting! I imagine such terms arose in the advent of social media, and sicky sweet Instagram quotes, ‘Live laugh love!’ I think the use of certain terms, such as ‘fur babies’, really gives an indication as to their attitude and outlook. I’ve never yet come across a HO who uses such terms (at least not seriously). It strikes me as being both juvenile and weirdly possessive.

[Katie]

Many HOs don’t actually own the home. That was a topic of discussion so I think that’s how Pet Parent came about.

[Twitcher]

Yes that has been discussed previously so personally I feel that ‘host’ works.

[anon80172330]

Ah, I see. I don’t personally think it really matters whether the home is owned or not. I regularly sit for someone who rents her house, but I still consider her the home owner in terms of the sit.

[mars]

“Pet Parents” doesn’t sit well with me either. How twee! (using British term I just learned) What was the problem with Home Owners? Actually, I agree with @Twitcher and think Host is the best choice. I don’t like fur babies either. It all sounds so juvenile. And I agree with @anon80172330 that THS seems keen to fix what isn’t broken.

[Lindsay]

@Twitcher @mars Agreed, host is the best choice by far. It’s accurate and easily understood. I can’t even say pet parent without my eyes involuntarily rolling. I understand some people like it and I don’t want to be negative towards their preferences but there’s no denying how juvenile it sounds and IMO it comes across quite unprofessional for TH to adopt that kind of language sitewide.

And @anon80172330 don’t get me started on live laugh love

[temba]

I quite agree with you @Lindsay and @mars as to the terminology being so juvenile and unprofessional. I’ve often thought the Trusted Times (or whatever it’s called) is written in the same vein as though we’re kids. I’m just waiting to read the next edition which hopefully includes the 5 Application Pause to see how “cute” it is.