There is a lot of negative reactions on the right-wing sites to the latest trend of pets in strollers. You hear a usual thing about how modern liberal women choose having pets instead of raising children. I understand the frustration as I find the phrase dog (in my case cat) mom quite irritating. I used to have an acquaintance who would ask me how my "cat children" were doing and it drove me nuts as I wanted to say: "come on, I haven't given birth to a freaking cat!"
Yet, in the case of pet strollers, what I see is mostly older folks using them and also mostly with small dogs who can't walk a long distance. I presume they have done their duty to the society by raising their kids already but these said kids often neglect them so that the elderly have to seek the company of their pets, and yes, I have witnessed it in real life.
There is another thing: most older folks don't drive. A pet stroller is very convenient if you need to take your sick animal to the vet. Try to transport a 6kg cat in a basket and you'll understand the convenience. Heck, I'm thinking of taking one myself. Since I don't have the car during the day, we have to schedule all our appointments in the evenings when it's very busy.
So I think we should cut pet stroller users some slack:)
I have heard people saying those are really convenient when person is on dog or cat show with their pet. Adn I agree with the pet visit.
ReplyDeleteBut usually even the smallest dogs can actually walk as long as humans can. One can actually even practise canicross (dogrun) with chihuahuas, because even they can run beter than humans. :) People who think their dogs cannot walk as long as they can either have very old and sickly dog or then they humanize their pet, which is very wrong for the dog. Dogs want to walk and run and sniff and eat poo.
I am not "dog mama" either. I am nobody's mother, thank you very much. When people say that mama-thing, I usually comment "I am not her mother, I am her Beloved Leader".
Well, my housekeeper has a small doggy which adamantly refuses to walk when it's a bit cold or rainy outside. She doesn't use a stroller though but carries him around in her bag.
ReplyDeleteI also think the elderly use these strollers instead of a rollator:) The dog could probably walk long distances, the owners not so much, without an aid. I've never seen any decent size dog in one of these.
I assume small dogs do get cold very easily. Mine is mid-sized and really furry so she is never cold, but she tries to refuse walking when it is raining. But since I am such a Nazi, she can choose wether she will walk or get dragged. :)
ReplyDeleteYes, I believe that about you, I wouldn't carry a dog around, either:) But that's just me...
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