The word 宠物 is formed by combining two characters: 宠 (chǒng), which carries the meaning "to dote on" or "to pamper", and 物 (wù), which means "thing" or "creature". It is a conceptual fusion where the first character describes the action or attitude (doting), and the second specifies the object of that action (a creature). Together, they logically create the idea of "a pampered creature", which directly and efficiently signifies a domesticated animal kept for companionship, i.e., a "pet".