I was asked politely to post this — and I agreed…

… but I stipulated that I will not be endorsing the author’s point of view.

This post is about (supposed) “mean” things” that pet owners do their animals; some are plain old silly, some are natural, & some, I have no idea why the author wrote what she did…I’m not even giving the link juice out…

I do agree with a few – the actual mean one or two that are in here… the others, well, I just want my readers to see how bat-shit-crazy people are sometimes, and the things they will write to get attention and for the sake of controversy. (Trust me, ThoughtsFurPaws doesn’t need it).

You will notice that after some of these points I have listed a “point” of my own opinion…

Here goes:

“The relationship between a person and their pet is a powerful one, but every once in a while, pet owners take their love to a … new level of absurdity … downright meanness. Even seemingly innocent activities like pushing a cat in a stroller or putting bows in a dog’s hair can be torturous and … cruel. Unless you want your pet to hate you or feel like less of an animal, steer clear of these pet peeves of the pets. (Okay, that’s a cute saying…) Here are the 10 meanest things owners love to do to their pets.”

1. DRESS THEM UP: Today’s pet owners are obsessed with dressing up their dogs and cats in ridiculous costumes and clothing for holidays and virtually any occasion. As if being dressed isn’t humiliating enough, owners have the nerve to take their dressed up pets out in public. Let’s face it: pets hate clothes and accessories, so stop torturing them with such silly costumes.

2. PUT TAPE ON THEIR PAWS: THIS ONE I agree with… Pets withstand a lot of humiliation, but one of the meanest things that owners love to do to them is put office or Scotch tape on their paws. Pet owners have a blast watching cats and dogs squirm and stick to the floor with every sticky step. This seemingly innocent prank is actually just plain mean!

** I have seen this and it’s flat-out animal cruelty for one reason – because it SCARES the animal. They dont’ understand and are afraid. I believe that this factor makes this an actual mean thing to do… ***

Per #1, Franklin had a BLAST as Elmo at Halloween being dressed up!

3. WAKE THEM UP: There may be nothing cuter than a curled up kitten or a snoring dog, but that doesn’t mean it’s OK to wake them up when they’re sound asleep. Pet owners have no problem waking their furry friends as they catch some Zs, but we hate it when they do it back. Just like you wouldn’t wake a sleeping baby, you should resist the temptation to wake a sleeping pet.

4. TEASE THEM: Some pet owners are downright mean and love to tease their dogs and cats with toys and treats. You might get a good laugh watching your dog search relentlessly for a ball you never threw, but this kind of teasing can come back to bite you big time. Teasing and play-fighting can cause dogs to become aggressive and disobedient.

*** Special note, the author used the famous 2011 YouTube video, Ultimate Dog Tease for an example of this. That video was NUMBER ONE for the YEAR with MILLIONS of hits, and by no real means even teased the animal…. IT WAS A JOKE LADY

5. PUT CATS ON LEASHES: Let’s say it together: Dogs walk on leashes, not cats. Sadly, there are too many cat owners out there who don’t understand this concept. Cats don’t like leashes and probably never will. If your feline wants to walk with you, they’ll follow you without a leash.

6. MAKE THEM DANCE: Unless your dog is related to the salsa-dancing golden retriever on YouTube, he or she probably doesn’t like to dance. And cats? Forget about it. People love to swing around their pets and make them stand up and dance against their will, but this cruel activity often ends in biting, scratching, and a hatred for dancing.

7. PAINT THEIR NAILS: Some pet owners have taken dog grooming to whole other level of wacky by getting their pooches’ nails primped and polished. And the worst part is male dogs are also at risk of having their nails painted. When will people learn that pets are animals and not dolls?

*** While not mean, I kinda think this is a bit too much, but I think I feel that way becuase I had early over-exposure to it when I lived in The OC. All the seriously wealthy women came into Nordy where I worked with their pimped out Pomeranians… getting manis and pedis and I was shocked because the dogs didn‘t like it… ** If your dog enjoys it – by all means, it’s cute as hell - but if she doesn’t, maybe think twice next time about some large thing coming at you with stinky colored stuff and scissors and clippers…

8. PUT THEM IN STROLLERS AND PURSES: Four-legged creatures are meant to walk, not be strolled or carried by their owners everywhere they go. You might think you’re spoiling your dog or cat by toting them in a stroller or bag, but you’re actually humiliating them and taking away valuable exercise time.

*** Um, how else are you supposed to carry a teacup breed in the 21st century – hee hee???? ****

*** And Im sure any dog who is spoiled enough to get a free ride in a Fendi gets PLENTY of exercise….! ***

9. PUT THEIR EMBARRASING MOMEN TS ON YOUTUBE: Pet owners get a lot of entertainment from watching their dogs and cats every day, but that doesn’t mean you should share their embarrassing moments with the whole world. Pet owners love to videotape their animals playing, sleeping, and making complete fools of themselves and put these moments on YouTube for all to see.

*** Are you a… something not smart??? One of the greatest joys of pet ownership is sharing your fur-baby’s silly antics with other pet-lovers – online or where ever – blockhead. ****

10. TAKE GLAMOUR SHOTS: You may love to take photos of your fur babies, but some people go as far as having them professionally photographed. Although some dogs and cats can sit still for a photo session, most don’t have the patience for stillness, bright lights, and the silly props that come with most pet glamour shots.

Let me know what you think… are these things mean – or are they normal and natural? OR BOTH? What’s your opinion?

And to the original author – please take no offense to me calling you a blockhead; but I disagree and believe this is horse-puckey.