We’ve talked all week about support and therapy animals of all types. How many of you have relied on your cat for company, comfort, and/or companionship? Some of you have other types of pets that you adore and depend on for affection, to bolster your mood, make you laugh, and so forth. The truth is we become attached to a being that we care for—that needs us in some way, and that gives us purpose. Those of you reading this know this is true. We’re wired to become emotional about our pets.
I peek in on some of the many webcams showing eagles and owls nesting and raising their
young this time of year. Along with the opportunity to watch the eagles’, owls’, hummingbirds’, ospreys’, etc. every move, you can chat with others who are watching. It’s interesting how attached you can become to these wild families. People express feeling grief-stricken when a nest fails or a predator takes one of the young—it really is sad to watch. It’s as if each of us watching has taken the wild family into our hearts and our homes. We so want them to survive and be successful.
I’ve seen grown men cry real tears upon losing a pet lizard or a recently rescued squirrel. Yes, we do become very emotionally attached to animals just as we do people and we depend on our pets to feed into our emotional bank. So back to the question, how does your cat support you? Is she a support cat in some way? Is she an important part of your household? Do you depend on her to wake you in the morning, greet you when you return home, help you to chill and relax after a rough day, make you laugh? Does she give you purpose? We all need a sense of purpose.
Yes, from my perspective, we weren’t put on this earth to take care of animals, it’s the other way around. What do you think?
