By: Song E.
We spend a lot of time with our pets. We care for them, take care of them, play with them––we love them. Sometimes we treat them as if they’re our kids. Most people will admit that they closely bond with their pets, but can we ever be too attached? And why is it we feel so close to our pets?
Don’t worry, it’s normal
Being emotionally attached to your pet is completely natural. It’s easy to feel affectionate towards our pets because they give us unconditional love and companionship; they make us feel secure and we are reliant on them for that.
So yes, our pets are attached to us too.
Yes, the affection does go two ways. Our pets are reliant on us to take care of them––we are their caregivers. They also depend on us for love and affection, so the attachment is mutual.
What attachment really is
I’m sure you feel a rush of excitement when you come home to your dog jumping on you and licking your face all over, or your cat rubbing up against your leg. Feeling joy when being reunited is just one sign of attachment. This is also related to the anxiety we feel when we’re not together. Also, we have the desire to be close to them––especially when we’re going through tough times. Sometimes I even feel like my dog can sense when I’m not feeling well, and he comes to comfort me. It’s amazing how strong of a bond we can create with our pets.
Can we be too attached?
Being “too attached” can affect our pet’s health or even our own health. If our pets are too attached or dependent on us they might get very anxious when we’re not around; even if we’re not in the same room as them, they could have separation anxiety. This is extremely unhealthy for them because they are relying on us to constantly make them happy. Also, we can ––as owners and caregivers––have a difficult time differentiating ourselves from our pets. We cannot apply the nature of humans to our pets. So yes, we can become too attached; we should be aware of how reliant our pets are of us.
