Do pets really love us?? (birds, goldfish, breed, fish)
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Most non-animal lovers will joke that a cat only pretends to love us because we the owners are feeding/taking care of it. They will say dogs were just bred to be loyal so they don't love us either. Its just "bred loyal" that a dog displays. However, all of us real animal lovers who own pets know that there is a true bond/love that our pets feel for us.
So my question to my fellow pet owners is the following: Have you ever had a personal experience which if you shared with a "non-animal lover" like the type above, would even make that person question if animals might be capable of love? I would love to hear any story someone has.
Here is mine:
Our cat (Mew Mew) had developed cancer of the stomach and was on deaths bed. She did not show a single sign of anything being wrong with her until about 1 week before she passed away (put to sleep). When I took her to the vet, her cancer was at a stage where the only humane thing to do was to put her to sleep. I was willing to spend any amount of money if it meant she had a chance but the vet told me her cancer was too advanced to treat. As you know abdominal cancer is the most painful type of cancer and one of the most painful experiences for humans. So its the same for animals. We set up an appointment with a home vet so Mew Mew could be put to sleep in peace in her favorite spot instead of in an unknown environment at the vet office.
She was in so much pain that she stopped eating completely and wouldn't move from one spot in the house after she got comfortable there. I was always Mew Mew's favorite person but she had a very strong reaction whenever my wife was upset. Mew Mew would get sad and try to comfort my wife whenever she was upset. Knowing this, my wife was trying to act happy around Mew Mew. However, eventually it was too much for her to see Mew Mew so weak/in pain that she could barely move. So my wife went upstairs to the master bedroom away from Mew Mew, cried into the bed and made as little noise as possible so Mew Mew couldn't hear her being upset.
Even though Mew Mew was downstairs and we have a big house; somehow she sensed or heard that my wife was upset. Even though she could barely move from the pain, somehow she walked to the stairs in pain and hobbled her way slowly up the stairs just to comfort my wife!! We heard her make the "Meow" she always did when my wife was upset, walk into the bedroom and try to snuggle into my wife to comfort her!!! Here is a cat that's in the most extreme pain imaginable and at deaths door. Yet, she chose to cause herself even more pain by walking up stairs just to comfort my wife because she heard her crying. If that's not evidence that animals can truly selflessly love us, I don't know what is.
Last edited by griffon652; 05-29-2020 at 03:23 PM..
I adopted my cat in 2012 and she was not a lap cat. Although she enjoyed pettings, she had no interest in and would desperately squirm to get away if I tried to hold her or put her on my lap. She preferred being an arm's length away.
About a year later, I had to go away on a two week business training trip and hired a cat sitter during my absence. When I returned, my cat changed. She would not leave my side and sat on my lap every time I was sitting down. At night she slept right on my stomach, never did that before. I believe this meant she loved me and was saddened I was gone and overjoyed when I came back.
I had a Siamese cat that adopted me at the bus stop. However, she hated being indoors during the day and I would let her out when I went to work (she stayed under the house). During the summer I was recovering from brain surgery, though, she not only insisted on staying inside, she stayed on my chest all day, every day, and comforted me through the pain. Once I had recovered, she went back to her regular routine.
I think that pets do feel certain affection toward their owners, but it might not be love the way we, humans, feel it... We are much more complex beings, so it's natural that our feelings are more complex, too.
My mom's cat used to come to greet my mom whenever she came home. She would hear my mom's steps when she approached the building (!) and she would run toward the door and sit there and wait. She did it every time, even if my mom went out and came back ten times a day. It wasn't because of food or anything. She always had plenty of food. She simply wanted to greet her owner (I mean: servant ).
I rescued a big aggressive breed dog. Dog was timid (not a breed characteristic at all). Nothing spooked the dog (lightning/rain/loud noise/fireworks) but the dog was just "unsure of things." I've owned this breed several times before and they tended to be very similar in personalities. Sure enough, it took 10-12 months but this dog has come around and literally stands at attention every day when I pull in the driveway. I'd say its in love with me!
I don't know if it is love but dogs most certainly form a very strong pack bond with their humans.
I've had cats and birds form a close bond with me and I have had goldfish who recognized me, trusted me, did tricks for me, and sure seemed happy to see me (although, really, it is hard to ask a fish about their feelings.)
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