They're more than "just pets" and to anyone who doesn't agree has unfortunately missed out on one of the best relationships this life has to offer.
Having a pet teaches us gratitude, forgiveness, loyalty, compassion and so much more. They are the sweetest hello and the hardest goodbye. They give us fulfillment by depending on us to take care of them, and we receive their endless love in return. They would do anything for us, it almost doesn't seem fair. We come home late, having left them alone all day, bored, and hungry, and they will still greet us affectionately the moment we walk in the door. Even if they are a bit salty, they won't hold a grudge for long because they're just so happy to see us.
They love us for exactly who we are, unconditionally.
Being a pet owner can play a huge role in personal development, as pets act as one of the greatest teachers in our life. For children, there are no distinctions between pets and friends. They act as both and will serve many lessons while bringing so much joy to a family.
For young single people, who may be feeling alone I encourage you to start your own furry family. Having a pet to care for all of your own forces you to take accountability for your actions, and grow up for all the right reasons. The benefits of being a pet owner far outway the cost, because after all, a house is never lonely where a loving pet waits.
The relationship between pets and their owners is so special. For many pet owners they truly think of their animals as family, and they would do almost anything for their wellbeing. When animals get sick or grow old the decisions we must make as pet owners become more challenging. It can be so hard to determine what the best decision for your pet is since there is no way of verbally communicating with your animal. We as humans are selfish by nature, so it comes as no surprise that we wish nothing more than to have our pets in our lives forever. Unfortunately, there comes a time where the right kind of love for our pet, is the love that let's go.
Sometimes it's hard for people who haven't learned the responsibility or experienced the unconditional love, to sympathize when someone close to them loses's their four-legged best friend, but that doesn't make your feelings any less valid.
A pet owner's heartbreak is just one example of the inevitable truth, that all lives must one day come to an end, but we'd take the crushing pain a million times over for the memories our pet gives us.It's normal to feel devastated after losing a pet, and for your home and your heart to feel a little less full. Many people feel disloyal if they were to get another pet after ones passing and they just can't decide when the right time would be.
Everyone grieves differently and needs their own time to deal with the passing, some need much more time than others, but we should not feel bad for wanting to bring another animal into our life. Our pet was the happiest when we were happy, so they would not want us to deprive our lives of the love another animal can give us, and the love we give to them in return.
Each pet will forever have their own spot in our heart where only their paws can fill. Pets come into our lives to teach us about love, and when they leave they teach us about loss. When we open our hearts and our homes to a new pet, we are only learning how to expand our hearts, not replace empty spaces. Our hearts are not empty, our hearts are full of the moments we shared with our pets, and it can only grow larger with a new edition.
Our four-legged best friends will live forever in the memories we keep, for what we have loved deeply we can never lose, it becomes apart of us.
