The human-animal bond is a term that is applied to any interaction between humans and animal. At Quietus, I am particularly interested in pets, and so I’ll call it the Human-Pet bond.
There are some commentators who challenge the word ‘pet’. Some feel the term ‘pet’ loads undue responsibility onto the human and suggests ownership. Also, many feel the word ‘animal’ rejects the deep feelings some people have about ‘their’ animal. That all aside, I’m going to stick with ‘pet’ – we know what it means.
And what do we call the human side of the bond?
Human. Man. Woman. Parent. Carer?