Fellow Aspies with Pets can You Assist Me with an Assignment?

[megacomic]

1. Do you believe your relationship with your pet has any bearing on your human relationships?
2. If yes, in what situations have you seen this come into fruition?
3. How old are you?
4. Tell me about your pet?
5. Do you feel you have a mutual friendship with your pet? If so how do you know?

Simply answer the questions to the best of your ability. Any answers would be a huge help. Thanks.

 

[Bolletje]

1. No
2. N/a
3. 32
4. I have 2 black cats, Monster and Bolletje. They’re adorable, although they can be a bit much sometimes. They were originally my boyfriend’s cats, but I love them like I raised them myself. Bolletje latched onto me from the start, Monster was indifferent initially, but warmed up to me over time.
5. No. While I do believe there’s a mutual fondness, and a bond of sorts, I wouldn’t call it friendship. Friendship to me is reserved for humans.

 

[Mia]

1. My relationship with my dog, taught me patience, even kindness and the desire to understand non-verbal cues and untangle behaviour among many other abilities. From my cats I have also learned to be patient, to care for their needs, to play with them, to be gentle and to not judge them for their behaviour. To understand them for their quirks and their abilities and their excitement and joy every morning as they run around, eat and go outside. I've learned a little how to relax and be calm from my pets. Even how to have fun.

This has carried over into my relationship with friends and family. To see and understand them, for who they are, to not judge them. To accept them as individuals, distinct from one another.

5. Yes, a friendship. All three of my cats were strays. I rescued them when they were abandoned and or hurt and required help and needed a home. My cats are not with me so they can serve me and provide things I might coerce from them like affection or servitude. They don't do tricks for me, or come if called. If they don't like me brushing them, sometimes they will smack me lightly with their paw. Or if they don't want to be picked up they will make complaining noises.
They come to see me when they want to, and greet me when they like, sometimes they don't, and at other times they do. But most nights they sleep with me, because they want to. I wake up to them all in the same room, near me, or sleeping on my foot. It's something they all do, which pleases me, because I never insisted that they do so.

 

[SusanLR]

1. No
2. N/A
3. 61
4. Tree frogs.
Eight I have taken in and they live in the screened enclosure around the pool. They have their own places they pick to live and hang out. Like a flower pot, behind a clock on the wall, in a plastic tube of a plant stand, one lives in a planter box that hangs on the wall.
They come out at night. They like bowls of water to bathe in which I change daily. They prowl at night for food.
They've learned me and my flashlight and will watch for me or hop to me to be fed. I give them large meal worms.
They like to be hand fed taking the worm from my fingers.
Sometimes they jump onto my hand or arm and I walk around the pool with them then take them back to their home and they jump off. One large female likes to play with 3 small rubber frog toys like a kid with dolls.
They respond to my voice.
So I consider it a mutual bond and therefore like a type of friendship or maybe they think I am the friendly giant!

 

[Tom]

1. Do you believe your relationship with your pet has any bearing on your human relationships?
Yes
2. If yes, in what situations have you seen this come into fruition?
I greet people with pets, in order to meet their pets.
3. How old are you?
60
4. Tell me about your pet?
Momo: Best doggie in the world.
Molly: Best doggie in the world.
Penny: Best doggie in the world.
Peanut: Best doggie in the world.
Birdy: Best birdy in the world.
5. Do you feel you have a mutual friendship with your pet? If so how do you know?
Yes. Its different being human to canine rather then human to human, but they know and trust me, come to me when frightened or hurt. They show affection, happiness when I am around and doing things with them. I show them love and affection and like being with them and go to them for solace. Its has it limits being inter-species, but connects where it is able to.

 

[Mary Anne]

I prefer animals over humans ANY day. I believe now, that I was an animal hoarder in the past, but I would have vehemently denied having those tendencies. Pets have gotten me through difficult times, but also have caused difficulties too (eviction, expense, and heartache when they die). I am 61.5 years old.

I currently have 2 cats that are the love of my life. They are 1 year old tabby sisters, I got at age 8 weeks old- Leeloo and Squeaky. I have had many cats, dogs, fish (fish are excellant loving, intelligent beings!), a sun conure parrot, a toad, 17 rabbits (at the same time), and 7 pure white gorgeous Chinese Silky chickens (all at once, in my city loft apartment- which caused the eviction). I love animals and take a Native American viewpoint in that animals are are brothers and sisters, and are our equals in this planet. We really cannot “own” them, and should honor and respect all non-human creatures! The world would be a much better place if we all thought in this way.

My fantasy dream is to live in a rural place, and have horses which I could ride instead of depending on the damn automobile so much. I love horses....but then, I love ALL non human creatures- even snakes, and insects, etc.

As for the “mutual friendships”, I have always had a connection with animals. I can go to the zoo or aquarium, and the keeper will tell me that how the creature is responding to ME in such a fascinating or unusually responsive way. Yes, this happened with a Beluga whale at the Baltimore aquarium. It happened with 2 different puffer fish in different Midwest locations. It’s happened with parrots everywhere, and with a “maned wolf” in the Washington DC zoo. I just know how to communicate with creatures, even those wild ones in the forests. That’s is interesting, because communication with humans is far far more difficult!

 

[kay]

1. Yep
2. People want to come over to see them, my sister and me spend time disagreeing over "parenting" methods
3. 46
4. Two bunnies, Molly who loves to throw around a small, metal bread pan and Larry her brother who likes to try to eat the underside of the dining room table.
5. Yeah, I guess it's a friendship. They run to greet me and chew on my pant legs and they only do that sorta thing for my husband and me. Though I think they would learn to be friends with pretty much anyone who fed them and rubbed their ears. It's certainly not like having a people friend, though in same ways it's obviously better. I hear Larry over in the corner playing with a block of wood, he's a very good bunny.

 

[tducey]

1. Do you believe your relationship with your pet has any bearing on your human relationships?

Yes

2. If yes, in what situations have you seen this come into fruition?

People have seen how good I am with my pets and trust me with the pets.

3. How old are you?

35

4. Tell me about your pet

2 pugs; Annie and Rosie. Both are good dogs but Rosie has some health issues

5. Do you feel you have a mutual friendship with your pet? If so how do you know?

Yes, they like spending time with me and know to come and get me if they need something.

 

[Gracey]

1 - probably.

2 - if my dog was unsure of you, he was sensing something I initially couldn’t.
Extremely well socialised ‘bomb-proof’ dog. Not easily spooked, took all in his stride.
If he ‘watched’ you, so too did I.
(Was rare but I took notice)

Interaction with other dog owners.

Easy to discuss my special interest with other dog owners covertly.

Get out with dog and do some good,
raising funds for charities (longest sponsored walk to date is 18 miles around all three dams and them some, in Derbyshire, with dog )

He was fine with my silences. Probably preferred them
People like justification, answers, reasons, explanations for not talking.
(Which requires talking)
Dogs like quiet.

A sense of responsibility toward complete strangers.
I was liable for my dogs behaviour in the eyes of the law. No excuses or BS. Black and white responsibility.

I could go on (and on and on) but I won’t... doesn’t paint some humans in a positive light, generally speaking.

3 - Been alive for almost half a century.

4 - greatest dog I ever had the privilege of sharing many years with.

5 - not friendship, Mutual respect. An understanding. Each having a clearly defined role to play.
Easy when one knows the rules and understands the lingo.