Is my bond with my pets normal and healthy?
I’m curious about people’s relationships with their pets. I’m an empath as well as highly sensitive so my relationship with animals has always been special. On top of this I grew up an only child on a farm so animals were my people. Animals have always been drawn to me (as well as children, I’m now a 2nd grade teacher) but as I get older I’m recognizing how deep this bond with my own pets goes and how ‘in-tune’ I am to literally any animal that’s around me.
Since the pandemic started and time at home is almost constant, I’ve had the pure joy of getting to spend the entire day with my dog. She’s a 5yo English Golden Retriever and she is my child. I got her as a puppy and put a lot of effort into training her. She’s now a certified therapy dog and pre-Covid we did weekly visits to our local nursing home for the residents to love on her. She’s always been a good girl and we’ve always had a special bond, but I’m noticing it’s much deeper and stronger since Covid has begun. We also adopted a senior cat in April when lockdown began. As expected he was very timid and nervous when we brought him home and he spent his days hiding under the bed in his safe room. We weren’t told until much later he had been surrendered, adopted, returned, then adopted by us (for good)! We were told the woman who adopted him said he wouldn’t come out from under the bed and brought him back. I made a point to lay on the floor in his room and just talk to him. By day 3 he was coming out and curling up on my lap. Fast forward to now and I cannot imagine my life without this cat. As soon as I sit on the couch for the night he’s jumping up with a trill and settling in my lap, then following me into bed and sleeping on my chest all night.
Has anyone else experienced these kinds of relationships/interactions with animals? If you could choose what animal you shared a wit bond with, what would you choose and why? I'd probably end up with a cat bond. A part of me would be tempted by the idea of something more exotic or wild, but if I had to be honest, a common housecat would suit both of us best in both temperament and lifestyle. And I get along well with cats.
For me a house cat seems terrifying, I don't know if I would want to be privy to their thoughts. They are quiet, good hunters, and are generally cautious. If you have the will power to share thoughts with a cat all day, then that would make a good bond animal.
My cat. He is pretty unique, he chose to live with me as in he just came in one day and refused to leave, after finding out where he was from and that he had no home I kept him. He follows me around the house and also out of the house, like a dog. So if I go for a walk to the park or whatever, he comes too, he’s even come into stores with me. He also sleeps on my feet at night, and before I go to bed sleeps outside my kids doors like a guardian. So I think he’d be a pretty good bond animal.
If such things were real it would be my cat. Regardless of what I'd choose. Part of what makes the wit magic so fun to read is how it's essentially just a slight magical twist on how many pet owners feel about their animals anyway - when you have a good relationship built up over years with a particular animal it starts to feel a lot like the wit bond hobb describes! But if I could choose, a parrot would be my practical choice. Some live as long as humans, they can fly, they're intelligent, I think you could fairly easily get around most situations in modern life with a parrot in your vicinity. Imagine commuting into the city but wanting to keep your bonded kangaroo nearby 😅 it could work with a bird though! Why do the bonds between humans and dogs/cats seem so much stronger and more intimate than those between the animals themselves? My cat is much more attached to me than she was ever to her mother or her daughter (with whom she lives). What are the best ways to really bond with your dog and show them that you're their best friend and are always there and available for them?
Since the pandemic started and time at home is almost constant, I’ve had the pure joy of getting to spend the entire day with my dog. She’s a 5yo English Golden Retriever and she is my child. I got her as a puppy and put a lot of effort into training her. She’s now a certified therapy dog and pre-Covid we did weekly visits to our local nursing home for the residents to love on her. She’s always been a good girl and we’ve always had a special bond, but I’m noticing it’s much deeper and stronger since Covid has begun. We also adopted a senior cat in April when lockdown began. As expected he was very timid and nervous when we brought him home and he spent his days hiding under the bed in his safe room. We weren’t told until much later he had been surrendered, adopted, returned, then adopted by us (for good)! We were told the woman who adopted him said he wouldn’t come out from under the bed and brought him back. I made a point to lay on the floor in his room and just talk to him. By day 3 he was coming out and curling up on my lap. Fast forward to now and I cannot imagine my life without this cat. As soon as I sit on the couch for the night he’s jumping up with a trill and settling in my lap, then following me into bed and sleeping on my chest all night.
Has anyone else experienced these kinds of relationships/interactions with animals? If you could choose what animal you shared a wit bond with, what would you choose and why? I'd probably end up with a cat bond. A part of me would be tempted by the idea of something more exotic or wild, but if I had to be honest, a common housecat would suit both of us best in both temperament and lifestyle. And I get along well with cats.
For me a house cat seems terrifying, I don't know if I would want to be privy to their thoughts. They are quiet, good hunters, and are generally cautious. If you have the will power to share thoughts with a cat all day, then that would make a good bond animal.
My cat. He is pretty unique, he chose to live with me as in he just came in one day and refused to leave, after finding out where he was from and that he had no home I kept him. He follows me around the house and also out of the house, like a dog. So if I go for a walk to the park or whatever, he comes too, he’s even come into stores with me. He also sleeps on my feet at night, and before I go to bed sleeps outside my kids doors like a guardian. So I think he’d be a pretty good bond animal.
If such things were real it would be my cat. Regardless of what I'd choose. Part of what makes the wit magic so fun to read is how it's essentially just a slight magical twist on how many pet owners feel about their animals anyway - when you have a good relationship built up over years with a particular animal it starts to feel a lot like the wit bond hobb describes! But if I could choose, a parrot would be my practical choice. Some live as long as humans, they can fly, they're intelligent, I think you could fairly easily get around most situations in modern life with a parrot in your vicinity. Imagine commuting into the city but wanting to keep your bonded kangaroo nearby 😅 it could work with a bird though! Why do the bonds between humans and dogs/cats seem so much stronger and more intimate than those between the animals themselves? My cat is much more attached to me than she was ever to her mother or her daughter (with whom she lives). What are the best ways to really bond with your dog and show them that you're their best friend and are always there and available for them?
