D. and I use the term "pet" to refer to me. We decided on it because we were both happy for me to call him Master, but neither of us liked the idea of me being a "slave." We're from the American South, and that term has a lot of history and implications for us that we're not comfortable with.

For us, being a pet is different from being a slave because, as kelly says, it implies care and love. A master can be devoted to his or her pet, and go to lots of trouble to make them happy and comfortable, while still being in control of what privileges and duties they have, administering discipline, etc.

As my Master's pet, I like to sit at his feet and be petted, wear my collar and leash, wash his feet at the end of a long day, and generally provide comfort and companionship. Having a pet (the non-human kind) has been shown to lower blood pressure and help people to deal with stress. I think that having me as a pet offers some of these same benefits to my Master.