Pet or Companion Animal? The Difference and Why it Matters
‘Pet’ and ‘companion animal’ are often used interchangeably, but there is a meaningful difference
Fido, sit
In the editorial of the first issue of the Journal of Animal Ethics (back in the ancient year 2011), the editors ask prospective authors to replace the word ‘pet’ with the word ‘companion animal:
Specifically, we are inviting authors to use “companion animals” rather than “pets.” Despite its prevalence, “pets” is surely a derogatory term with respect to both the animals concerned and their human caregivers.
However, some ethicists quickly pointed out that equating the terms would gloss over the differences.
To quickly illustrate the main point:
You own a pet.
You live with a companion animal.
Of course, you can call your pets companion animals, or your companion animals pets. Philosophers like to fuss over words.
The point, however, stands. The ideas of a pet or a companion animal are rooted in a different perception of the animal you live with, and changing the terms you use does not necessarily change the way you treat the animal.
