Does it ever bother adoptees or adoptive parents?

Question

Does it ever bother adoptees or adoptive parents when the term Adoption is used for cats and dogs?

I know it sounds silly, but considering what a huge thing it is, a child and a family, etc, it seems kind of undermining to refer to buying a pet as the same league as adopting your child.

Don't get me wrong, I adore animals, but as an adoptee it irks me a little to think of myself as a 'stray' at the shelter, lol!

What do others think?

Answer 1

It's funny that you posted this question. Just yesterday I felt that the term ADOPTION has been so overused to reference the intake of ANYTHING.

You can adopt an inanimate object. Most often these items are later rejected and tossed out. Adoption is a life life comitment just as if you had give birth to you child. So yeah, I bugs me too.

Answer 2

The 'adopt a trashcan' campaigns bug me a whole lot more.

Answer 3

Adopt-a-pet...adopt-a-highway...adopt-a-... etc.

All of these things don't speak to the complication, wait time, dedication and everything else that goes into adopting a child and bringing it into the family.

As an adoptive parent it does bug me somewhat, but I've resigned myself to the fact that I won't change it in my lifetime.

I try to avoid using the language of adoption for anything other than adopting a child.  I hope that my example will begin to show others as well.

Btw, I, too, treat my dog almost like one of my children, but we didn't "adopt" her...we purchased her.

Answer 4

I totally understand what you're saying and I absolutely agree with you. I have two children that we adopted. Worse even than using the term adoption for pets is the practice of using it for things like highways! I think "adopting a highway" is ridiculous no matter how you refer to it but, it does bug me that it is used for something so trivial. I also think the term adoption is confusing because sometimes it refers to something that is paid for and sometimes it is not paid for. What exactly would adoption mean if you go to the pet store and pay them for the dog but, they call it "adopting the dog?"

Answer 5

I love animals/pets too...but I think I Iove myself enough (lol!) not to be bothered by the term "adoption" being associated with animals.

Answer 6

That doesn't bother me half as much as being referred to as my brothers' "Half-sister" by my biological dad, whom I met after I was 20. It feels like a label and not a nice one. Like I'm compared to them or not quite enough to be called "sister".

I grew up with my mom and she had 2 daughters after I was born, by her new husband and no one made a distinction between us or that I was different. I was their sister too.

I think adopted kids just need to be informed early on that they are as precious and special as anyone else and even more so maybe, because they were 'chosen'. I can see your point though - it's kind of weird to apply the same label to children as to animals.

Answer 7

I am my mothers natural child, but my dad adopted me when I was 2, it never bothered me to have an animal adopted.  

Thing is, we are chosen!  My dad choose me!  I am the lucky one, the rest of his girls......... he got what he got.  ~smile~

We choose our pets.  We take them into our family and love make them  our own.

Life is to short to worry about words.

Answer 8

What would you call it?.

Websters Dictonary:  Taken by adoption; taken up as one's own; as, an adopted son, citizen, country, word. Many meanings.

Answer 9

Why would it, if you are getting an orphaned animal that needs a family to take care of it then you are ADOPTING that animal.  They have foster homes for animals too.  They are living things too that depend on human families to take proper care of them.  Some people can't have children and their animals are like their children.  A living thing is a living thing.  I know it may sound wrong to some for animals to be "adopted" but if you really look into the mean of the word it does fit animals as well.  When you are getting an animal from a shelter or a rescue you have to fill out applications, have a house vist done in most cases, prove you have a vet for medical care and that you can financially support the animal.....All of the same things basically that you have to go through to adopt a child.  There for you aren't buying but adopting then animal.  Buying and Adopting are two different things.  Sorry that it bothers you, you just don't think of animals as "part of the family" while many people do.

Answer 10

That's funny! as an adoptive parent it never crosses my mind! Remember that the word "adoption" is used for everything that you adopt...you adopt foreign policies, you adopt habits etc etc. The word adoption was not originated for the use of adopting children. There was an adoptive parent years ago that went on and on about how it infuriated her the government was using the word "adopt" in legislation that had nothing to do with kids. I told her to open a dictionary..that ended that!

Answer 11

I was adopted and my brother was adopted.No it doesnt bother me.We actually picked my brother up from the nuns and they gave him to us in cardboard box!!he will be 34 this year.Cats and dogs probably arent even given away in boxes anymore!

Answer 12

nope...i adopted both my cats...i also picked them out the last one out of a room of at least a hundred...a pet is a living thing...they do have memories and can love...they are not the same as family but im telling you what sometimes when its just me and the cats at home and one comes up rubbing wanting to be petted..its nice..but as an adoptee it really doesnt bother me...

Answer 13

Talking about adopting pets does not bother me a bit.

I am NOT very PC but some things people say rub me the wrong way.  Please do not use the terms "given away" or "given up", rather children are "placed for adoption".  Please do not use the term "real" mother or father, rather "biological" or "birth" mother or father.

Thanks for letting me get that off my chest.