飼い主

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 飼い主 (かいぬし) is the person keeping and responsible for an animal. It appears as a person sought and a caregiver acting.
• Basic usage: The guardian of a lost dog is searched for; a cat's guardian records its health daily.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Person sought for a lost animal and daily caregiver
  • 犬の飼い主 is the search target; 飼い主は is the subject of care. The term can emphasize guardianship beyond bare legal ownership.