Our Pets Are Our Family
It is increasingly said that someone who has never had a pet, who has never discovered what it is like to live with an irresistibly cute cat or obsessively energetic dog, does not know what genuine, pure, selfless love is… Love that becomes offered without expecting anything in return. It is a love that has no resentment and that, quietly, through the smaller things, makes our lives more peaceful, pleasant and authentic.
We understand the term “pet” as a domesticated animal that lives with humans. It can be said, however, that the idea goes further: a pet doesn’t just live with us, they are an essential part of our family.
For many people this idea is probably difficult to understand, especially if we understand the word family as a union in which shared blood is what makes the relationship. In reality, however, the word can be defined from several aspects. Sometimes blood alone is not enough to ‘create a family’. There are many relationships based on reciprocity, on commitments that eventually become important, and on everyday authenticity that brings people together.
All positive emotions, wherever they come from, enrich us and help us grow. It is therefore completely fine that we give our dogs a place on the couch next to our partner or our children. We may be laughed at when we tell you how our cat wakes us up every morning or that our dog has a certain intuition and knows when we are sad, but… Our dogs and cats and other pets are just as much a part of our emotional life . For this reason, we embrace and involve them. We recognize them as an intimate part of our small world. As part of our family.
When our animals adopt us as family
Have you ever experienced what it feels like to be adopted by a pet? When an animal enters our life, it will first observe us shyly and in amazement. This is because people’s worlds are sometimes a little too crazy and complicated for them.
As humans, we are unstable at times. We collect moments of anger, times of happiness. We are sometimes angry and what we don’t like today, we may love tomorrow. Cats and dogs, on the other hand, are always the same and only hope for one thing: to be loved.
When our pets adopt us, many things can change inside of us that we don’t even realize are changing. However, these animals, with their playful yet sincere looks, are usually very good at reading our minds.
When the animals enter our lives, we suddenly discover that we are the center of their attention and that they are completely dependent on us. In turn, we also become dependent on them. We have come to love the moment when we come home and they greet us with boundless joy.
They need to be included in the family and to be considered part of the family. They like routines and habits and that we always treat them the same, consistently and without contradictions.
When this mutual adoption becomes complete and includes full incorporation into the family, we all change a little. Our pets become our protectors. And we become their closest relatives, their role models, the lap on which they take their afternoon nap; to them we are members of the same pack.
They are our daily emotional comfort. They offer us relief. They are our quiet confidants, the comfort of our sorrows, and they sprinkle our days with laughter and relaxation.
When we form a relationship with a dog or a cat, our family grows. Our hearts get stronger. Taking care of them is a duty, but loving them and getting this love back from them is the greatest privilege.
My pet and I are unique to each other
When we make our pets part of our family, we become the center of their existence. It doesn’t matter if we wake up in a bad mood or if we come home after a terrible day when everything we tried failed… To our pets, we are always the same no matter what. Our mistakes don’t matter, our moments of carelessness, our physical appearance and whatever happened in our past… Our pets only live in the present moment and only know how to show us that we deserve to be loved , no matter what.
Sometimes we are so wrapped up in our daily worries, our responsibilities and all the places we need to go that we don’t realize how our pets take care of us, how they look at us… and this is something we should notice.
They live every moment to the fullest. Yesterday does not exist and tomorrow has no meaning. Our pets are just eager to spend some time with us, hoping they can be as good, happy and comfortable as can be.
They are not demanding. They never judge us. They have the subtle ability to bring out the best in us. When we come home sad, our pets, these special members of the family, know exactly how to relieve our tension in a second.
They will always appreciate a hug, a hug, a kind word. They allow themselves to love completely and only hope that we will do the same. They are faithful creatures who make our daily lives an adventure full of funny stories and good-hearted moments. They will always have a special place in our hearts.
–Images courtesy of Nadezhda Yume–
