“Cat coin” and “dog dollar” are playful phrases in a discussion of pet-related spending, not established names for currencies or standard terms for pets. The underlying question is more familiar: should you call yourself an owner, pet parent, guardian—or something else? Each label emphasizes a different part of a relationship that can involve legal responsibility, daily care, affection and family life.
What do “cat coin” and “dog dollar” mean?
In Dr. Lauren Demos’s Catster essay, “cat coin” and “dog dollar” are rhetorical coinages connected to the commercial value associated with treating pets as family. They are not presented as common expressions or formal terminology. Demos also recounts an unnamed UK pet insurance company’s use of the phrase “pet pound”; Catster does not identify the company, so that phrase should be understood as the essay’s account, not as evidence of a broadly established term.
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The title’s money language points to a tension in the larger discussion: people may describe pets in deeply personal, family-like terms, while businesses can also benefit from the spending those attachments encourage. That possibility does not make affection insincere; it is a reason to distinguish the emotional meaning of a label from its commercial use.
Why do people call pets family?
For many people, a pet is not simply an animal kept at home. The relationship can include dependence, affection, routine care, companionship and occasional frustration. Demos writes from her own experience with cats and describes how labels such as “pet parent” or “cat mom” may feel incomplete or uncomfortable even when the bond itself is profound.
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Her broader point is that language changes as ideas about animal welfare and human–animal relationships change. Veterinary medicine and public attention to animal welfare have evolved, and advocates including Temple Grandin have influenced conversations about how animals should be treated. Words can shape how people think about their responsibilities and can intersect with ethical, social and legal questions. A label alone, however, cannot establish how well an animal is cared for or what legal status applies.
Owner, pet parent, guardian or keeper: how should you choose?
There is no formal terminology system or universally correct personal label established in Demos’s essay. The terms below are best understood as different emphases, not ranked options or precise legal definitions. Choose the one that feels accurate in context, and use more precise language when a legal or practical responsibility needs to be clear.
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| Term | What it tends to emphasize | What it may leave less explicit |
|---|---|---|
| Owner | Possession and responsibility; it is familiar and direct. | It may not convey the emotional or family-like side of the relationship. |
| Pet parent or cat mom | Caregiving, affection and a sense of family membership. | It may not feel personally accurate to everyone, and it does not by itself define legal duties. |
| Guardian | Protection, welfare and a duty of care. | Its meaning can vary by speaker and context; it should not be assumed to change legal status. |
| Keeper | Ongoing care and stewardship. | It may sound less familiar or may not express the closeness some people feel. |
These distinctions are practical reading cues drawn from the essay’s themes, not findings from a survey or an official taxonomy. A person might use “pet parent” among friends and “owner” on a form, where the latter may be the clearest ordinary wording. What matters is not finding a perfect noun so much as recognizing the care and obligations behind the relationship.
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Demos’s essay summarizes an unnamed study as finding an association between people’s anthropomorphism of pets and social support they received from them, describing those people as treating pets as cohorts. The essay does not provide the study’s title, researchers, publication, date, sample or numerical result. That summary therefore cannot support a quantified finding or a strong claim that anthropomorphism causes social support. It is more accurate to treat it as an observation reported in the essay than as a research result readers can independently assess from the information given.
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What practical care follows from the relationship?
In the postscript to her essay, Demos recommends annual veterinary visits and suggests a house-call veterinarian for cats that find travel difficult. She also advises considering pet insurance, spaying or neutering, avoiding trendy foods, asking a veterinarian what food is suitable, and making time to enjoy and play with pets. These are her general recommendations, not a comparison of providers, policies or diets; choices about an individual animal’s care are best discussed with its veterinarian.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What the terminology debate can—and cannot—settle
Words such as “owner,” “pet parent” and “guardian” can foreground different aspects of living with an animal, but none captures every relationship. Demos does not propose a replacement term or claim that one label resolves ethical or legal questions. Her reflection is instead a reminder that the language people choose sits alongside their actions: providing care, respecting an animal’s welfare and making room for the affection and complexity of life together.
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Read Dr. Lauren Demos’s Catster essay (updated March 8, 2026).
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