When pets empathise.

scoop · 30-12-2010, 22:38

Remember the scene in Marley and Me whe Jenifer Anistons character returns from hospital following a miscarriage and the usually hyper Marley gently puts his head in her lap and grieves with her?

A similar thing happened to me. When Mr Scoop first moved in with me my OLd Girl Cat hated him and wouldn't stay in the house when he was in. When I had a miscarriage she seemed to realise I needed everyone to be nice to each other - she started being nice to Mr Scoop and made friends with im.

About a year later I was 9 months pregnant with scoop jr, the midwife came to see me one evening and "examined" me in my bedroom, flat on my back, elbow deep in a midwife I was in agony.
My Old Girl sat atop my huge bump, looking at me affectionately purring, then turning round to face the midwife down below, flattening her ears and growling!

Have you any empethetic pet tales?

Moonbird · 31-12-2010, 11:05

I bet that gave the midwife a bit of a start

what a nice story though.

This will sound a bit weird I'm sure but true non the less, I think that I had a healing dog

.

My old dog Meg was an obsessive licker and she would home straight in on anyone with any irregularities (such as sore/very dry skin, sore spots, or pain) and gently lick the area...well saying that she could sometimes be quite rough too if she thought it was needed, but everyone said that she made the area feel better.
One person had very dry skin on his elbows and tennis elbow, the skin became normal and tennis elbow went after a few weeks of Meg treatment, another person with bad varicose veins used to roll up their trousers upon entering the house for her as a matter of course and swore the licking helped

diamond123 · 31-12-2010, 16:06

my diamond for all her faults is so sensitive to your mood and emotions, i have suffered from a panic disorder and depression for a couple of years now and although im now on the mend i swear that dog has got me through some of the worst days. the usually hyper diamond has often sat and gently licked the tears from my face or just come and sat with her head gently placed on my knee giving me that knowing look she has or nudged me/motivated me up off the sofa to play with her or walk her. just as similiarly if i am happy she will be trotting about the house after me head up tail wagging rope toy hanging from her mouth lol. thats why i love animals so much they give you all they have and ask for so little back she is my diamond!

gina2007 · 31-12-2010, 16:55

Awwww

SpeedDemon · 31-12-2010, 17:02

My GSD used to sniff my baby bumps then when I've brought the babies home from hospital he's sniffed my belly, sniffed the baby n seemed satisfied like "oh yes that's come from there" lol

medusa · 31-12-2010, 17:13

My old cat Merlin would never let you cry alone. She was the most empathic little creature ever (bearing in mind she was also one brain cell off being an imbecile in other ways!) and any upset human had to be looked after, washed and generally fussed around until they felt better. Crusading nurse cat to the rescue again!

parcher · 31-12-2010, 18:05

All of my cats have been nurse cats. The last time I had flu badly, they got me through it. I had a feline on either side of me and one on my chest (slightly debatable privelege) right through the cold patches and licking my forehead when I was sweating (also debatable). Actually, the three of them looked after me better than the hubby of the time, who declared he was ill as well and retired to bed, drunk!

When I lost two husbands (careless, I know), the cats of the time stuck to me like glue. Dora, in particular just sat beside me, head on my knee when hubby number one died.

Impecunious · 31-12-2010, 19:36

Oh Parcher, sounds like u've had a hard time - glad the little felines have been there to keep you company!!!

parcher · 31-12-2010, 19:49

I think this is why Mr Parcher misses Sacha so badly and wants to have another young cat in the house. He has been having a dreadful time at work and Sacha used to come and greet him when he came in through the door and then sit and talk to him.

foxyflugel · 02-01-2011, 13:03

I had to lock mine out of the room when the district nurse came daily to change my dressing after an op. Because they would either sit in the way and not move or try and lick my wound (not the most hygenic idea!!) - they obviously thought they could do a better job.

Also, when I still lived at home, we had a whippet x called Kelly who had been diagnosed with lymphoma. We had her chemo and she went into remission for a good 2 years. Unfortunately when it came back it came back with avengeance. It was taking her sight and she lost loads of weight. We made the decision as a family that the time had come. I was giving her a love before we were due to set off to the vets and was trying hard not to get upset for her sake. As I was crying she was licking the tears off my face, it still kills me to think about it to this day.

Evei · 02-01-2011, 13:18

I think I am a skeptic

D is great if I am upset and does hang around but he would only lick tears because they are salty (I don't allow him to lick as I don't like it, I see what else he licks

The thing about the infection is true but I'm guessing my eczema infected skin must give off a smell

that I cannot detect but dogs/ cats can. Dogs love eating half dead things and I presume my infected eczema skin must smell half dead too, hence the interest that D pays to the areas affected

Disgusting things dogs

abbie07 · 02-01-2011, 14:11

I thought it was just me being bonkers thinking that my dog knew things like that-he is so calm and cuddly whenever I'm upset (being pregnant seems this seems to happen more than usual at the moment!). He just comes and sits by my knee and puts his head on my lap until I'm ok again. It's weird!

Can dogs hear babies heartbeat? I'm sure he can-he seems to listen to my bump and look confused sometimes-especially if bump is particularly active.

moomooland · 02-01-2011, 15:04

i think this one of the many reasons we have our animals they are empathetic. i too was ill couple of weeks ago with both ends if you know what i mean and 'jimmy' cat whos on his last legs himself and the yorkie never left my side in bed. the yorkie dosnt need an excuse to do that but you class it as a great honour when the old lad does. they were such a great comfort to me, never bothered me for anything like they normally do, they were just doing their little nurse maid jobs especially 'jim' as hes not well himself.
give me animals anyday to some people, they never judge you.:-)

diamond123 · 02-01-2011, 21:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by Evei

I think I am a skeptic

D is great if I am upset and does hang around but he would only lick tears because they are salty (I don't allow him to lick as I don't like it, I see what else he licks

The thing about the infection is true but I'm guessing my eczema infected skin must give off a smell

that I cannot detect but dogs/ cats can. Dogs love eating half dead things and I presume my infected eczema skin must smell half dead too, hence the interest that D pays to the areas affected

Disgusting things dogs

your a hard woman evei lol!

Evei · 02-01-2011, 22:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by diamond123

your a hard woman evei lol!

I'm sat on the floor currently stroking the big ball of fluff who is sloppering all over my leg

the only empathising he is doing tonight is giving me evils when I type on the laptop instead of stroking him

I'm completely wrapped around his paw

fabcakes · 03-01-2011, 01:19

fern my golden retrever
now my retired guide dog
has saved my life so many times litriley
i suffer with non epalptic sezures
witch is fine but the bad thing is what ever i was doing
before i went into my fit i carry on doing
so if i was crossing the road i will carry on doing it
if im cutting bread i will carry on doing it
i have already cut through a nerve & a main arttery
through haveing a fit the onley thing that brought me round
was the fact i was cutting into my bone the pain must have
brought me round unless i had finneshed my fit who knows
she stops me crossing the road before i have a fit
the minuete she can sense im going to have a fit she just stops
& sometime i was in the middle of the road when i have fitted
& she has just dragged me accross the road
she would cut in front of me if we was shopping & just stand in front of me
becourse she knew i was fitting
but you know the best thing about all this that she did
she had never been trained to do it at all she just used to know

peewee84 · 03-01-2011, 07:53

What a lovely story Fabcakes!

I must admit, when Im upset and my yorkie tries to lick the tears from my face, I know its because they are salty lol...however....

I used to have a cat when I was younger...Tiggles...and she was pure evil...I still have the scars to prove it...aloof, independant, violent(!) and hated cuddles...I was attacked on a daily basis...however whenever I cried, she would run to me wherever I was and make this sort of trilling, purring sound...nudging my face as if her life depended on it until I stopped and then would curl up on my lap...Half an hour later...she would be a she-devil once more but it was nice while it lasted

Sometimes Id try and "pretend" cry just to get some affection but she just looked at me like I needed to be admitted..

kate1984 · 03-01-2011, 07:57

Tank used to follow me round when i was pregnant, im sure he thought my son was his baby lol he hated anybody coming near me.. very protective to a fault, it got a bit tiresome at times... i have read somewhere that cats know when your poorley??