Dear Blake,
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.
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?
Signed, Florence
From Baltimore, Maryland
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Dear Florence,
Many pet owners equate their dogs with people. I am not saying that all of them are insane for doing that, but most of them are. Anyway, here are some of my suggestions. Tell her you will get the dogs anything that they ask for… in writing, and those mongrels must pen their requests in front of you neatly. Or, glance back and forth from you sister to the dogs, and allege that the resemblance is stunning. Because she refers to them as her “fur babies”, ask her if they were born “naturally” or did she have a C-section? And lastly, this idea. If she insists on you giving them a gift, then honor her request. And this is the gift idea I’m strongly recommending. Give her dogs bus fare to the nearest rescue center, with the hope that their next owners aren’t delusional enough to equate flea breeding canines with humans. I hope this helps.
Blake