to ask has anyone ever had an unusually strong bond with an animal?

[Zulor]

I don't mean your typical cat/dog/gerbil, but please feel free to tell me about those.

Mine was with a sheep! I hand reared her (i.e. bottle fed her) since she was a small lamb as her mother had rejected her.

Over the years, she was a very friendly sheep and would look into the garden (field was surrounding the garden) and I'd feed her bread.

Time wore on, she went on to have lambs of her own etc. I had been away for years travelling. My dad was out in the field and I was out in the back garden chatting and suddenly, my Dad says, she made a bolt for the fence! So she rocks up and I feed her bread.

It's unusual in that I'd have reared other pet lambs but once they become mothers, they don't want to know you and just behave like the flock, but this particular sheep just seemed to adore me and remembered my voice years later!

I know you can have close bonds with animals you're in constant contact with, but any unusual bonds to share?

I don't want to burst you bubble, but is that not just Pavlovian conditioning?

Never heard of Pavlovian conditioning! I had hand reared other lambs, but once they had their own, they really didn't know you/want to know you.

My Dad said he had never seen anything like it and he's a farmer over 60 years, so it would be unusual.

My husband had a collie when he was a young teenager. He was with her walking through a field (his family were farmers at the time, lots of land) when one of the grazing horses decided to attack the poor dog. My husband literally sheilded her with his body from the horse, as it kicked out. Eventually got the horse to retreat.

After that, the dog was attached to my husband. They already had a close bond but this cemented it. She loved him to bits.

When he went swimming in the local lake, the dog would bark and bark then jump in, gently grab him by his elbow and literally drag him onto the land!

Lots of stories like that, he's Dr Dolittle!

Outing, but never mind.

I had a pet vole. I found her by a bridge, looked like she had been dropped by a predatory bird, she was so tiny she could stand on a 2 pence piece. One of her front legs was broken but she was otherwise fine. I had spare small animal cages so took her home and phoned a vet & RSPCA, both of whom told me to have her put down as she couldn't eat or run with a damaged leg so wouldn't live in the wild and wouldn't recommend me keeping her in captivity because she'd 'probably die anyway'.

She was scampering around after a drink of water so I couldn't just kill her; and I couldn't let her free to be eaten! So I looked up their diet and fed her the kinds of food she'd have in the wild and watched her grow.

I saw her learn to jump. She had managed running, but one day I saw her do an awkward climbing move onto a fruit & herb cup thing she had. Then she practiced bending her legs and jumping! She learned to jump and would then jump and dangle from her cage.

After several incredible overnight escapes I put her in a bigger home, a rotastak one, with monkey bars and things to climb on. She used to sit in my hands and groom me, and when I sat on the sofa and she wanted to come out and play she'd swing back and forth on one of her ropes squeaking for attention!

She loved eating cherry tomatoes best. And she was so funny, how she'd play. She had a peek-a-boo routine when I was cleaning her cage; she'd hide under a log bridge and jump out squeaking when I put my hand in.

The only time she bit me was when she was dying and she knew she was sick. I tried to pick her up, and she bit me, not hard, but so I pulled my hand away. I let her rest, and in the morning she was dead. I spent the whole day in tears. She had so much personality. She was the best pet I'd ever had.

When I lived at my Godfather I often went for a walk and in a paddock (I think it's called) there was a horse. He would come over and see me when he saw me standing there . I would stroke him.

Love these stories.💜🐈🐕🐩🐀🐁🐤🐔🐰🐢🐥🐑🐏🐐🐺🐃🐂🐴🐄🐯🐻🐪🐳🐒🐆🐖🐘🐧🐼Animal's have so much more character and intelligence than a lot of us realise.
I wonder if every animal lover/owner has that one special bond with one animal in their lifetime as the op asks for stories of?I have been lucky enough to have one.He passed six years ago and I think of him every day.Won't day more than that as still miss him so much,but looking forward to some more experiences please!great thread op!

I adopted a feral kitten from work - it took about six months before he started to trust me but he turned out to be the most amazing cat l've ever had ( l love all my cats but he was special ... ) He would walk me to work - About a mile down a bridle way - and then disappear into the undergrowth, reappearing when l walked past going home! He came when l called, draped himself round my neck like a stole when l was sitting down, wouldn't eat things he caught unless l gave them back to him ... l miss him. DS1 said he could still feel DCat asleep on his feet at night for years after he died ... He was lovely.

Similar, also with a lamb that I bottle fed whilst it lived with the rest of the flock next to my garden.

3 years later I was cycling past a field a mile away where the flock had been relocated to.

She had her own lambs with her, but the moment she saw me she ran, ignoring the rest of the flock, towards the gate to greet me as I cycled past!.....and recognised me each time I subsequently passed the field that summer. The owner confirmed that she clearly recognised me, it was so lovely.

My timid rescue cat also used to go out and get young fox cubs to deliberately follow him - so he could lead them back to visit me...but that’s a whole other lovely story.

My ferret, his brother died at 1 heart defect we tried to introduce others to him as they like to be in pairs or groups but no he wouldn't have any of it
He's 7 now never once bitten me but if anyone approaches me when I'm holding him he'll attack I'm his mum he won't share
he has a better 're call than my dog and has escaped a few times but instead of wandering off will come find me
He's my baby

When I was 12, I had a budgie that was very unusual. He lived in a cage but the door was always open so he could come and go as he pleased in my room. When I came in from school he would fly and sit on my head or shoulder and nuzzle my hair or cheek. He would drink from my cups of tea and sit on my pen when I was writing. I taught him to chirp when I said certain words, he was incredibly intelligent, for a bird! When he died I cried for two whole days, I had to be taken out of lessons, I was so bereft.

My horse is very sweet. He shouts for me when he hears the car and herds other horses away from me in the field. He comes to call, very handy in muddy fields.

Our current dogs are ridiculously bonded. The one I picked refuses to sit on my dh's knee and goes for a sulk in the kitchen if his brother's on my knee. I'm actually worried about how I'll cope when they die. I think I'll need to take time off work. 🐶🐶🐶

I have a very deep bond with my cat. He's 8 and came into my life when he was about 6 months old and I was at a very low ebb. He essentially adopted me and has rarely left my side since then (he's curled up asleep at my feet right now)

I've always had cats and have loved all of them but this cat is super special to me. He's very loving, a total cuddly lap cat and is very attached to me (follows me everywhere, purrs and chirrups if I speak to him, rolls around when I come home from work, high fives me for treats etc)

He's pretty shy with most people but he does like my DP and he adores my grown up DS, they are very close.

I really, really love this cat and I hope he lives until he's very old because the thought of bring without him breaks my heart. I don't care how sad this makes me sound

This is a lovely thread, making me well up though.

I had an incredible bond with my guinea pig. He'd have the run of my room once I was home from school & knew his name. When he became ill I took him to the vets and she examined him on the table. Once she let go he cautiously wandered across the table and jumped into my arms to nuzzle my neck. I loved him so much. I was so distraught when he eventually had to be PTS.

We had a stray kitten turn up in our garden. He was poorly with cat flu so my Dad took him to the vet. He put up posters to try to find the owners (30 years ago) but no one came forward. My dad named him and said we could keep him. He was always with my dad when he was home from work and they had a real bond.

When my Dad was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer he slept more often and tge cat always curled up next to him. When my Dad went to bed for the last time 2 days before he died, the cat curled up next to him, only leaving him to feed or go out to the toilet when someone else was with my dad. When my Dad died, the cat got up from the bed and rubbed past his feet and left the room. The cat never ever slept in my parents bedroom again.

Needlemaker my teenage DS had a ferret as lovely as yours sounds. He used to drape himself round DS's neck like a stole and wouldn't dream of biting him, though he'd take chunks out of everyone else. He lived in an outdoor run with his litter brother. Like all ferrets he was a bit of an escapologist & would dig his way out, no matter how well we secured it. He'd then hop into the house through the cat flap & go looking for DS. He knew his name & would come when called. He was such a cute little character & the bond he had with DS was so nice to see. He's been gone a few years now & we still miss him.

I share a gorgeous little rescue dog with a family member. She is our baby. I have never had any maternal instinct for anything human, no was so relieved to feel it for my dog. She is the best, and I love her with all my heart. I love her more than I’ve ever cared for any human, not in a bad way against humans but this is the first time I’ve experienced unconditional love. She taught me to love, I guess.

She came to us after leaving a horribly neglectful situation, and- we think- abuse. She didn’t fully trust us for months, regularly nipped us (and worse) and had some real behavioural issues, and thank heavens we stuck with her, because she’d possibly have been pts elsewhere, sadly.

So glad we did work with her as she is a gem. I’d always liked dogs, but this dog has made her human into a truly dog-committed individual and I hope to help other dogs in my lifetime.

One of my horses. I bought her from an auction as she was being sold to the knacker, she was an ex racer who'd served her purpose and didn't come without her issues but we overcame them. She was 3 back then and is 24 now. I have never had a horse like her, we hack for miles most weekends. When she sees my car come up the road she runs alongside the fence whinnying and stands at the gate waiting on me. I do not go out every night in my Pj's to say goodnight to her before I go to bed

I loved the vole story!

My cat was the most amazing animal I'll ever have. I loved her more than every single boyfriend I've ever had and a lot more than my parents or sister.

She had a sense of humour and I just don't care if you tell me that i sound batshit or that animals don't have a sense of humour because she did.

I loved her and I was the only person she ever loved too. I'll never ever forget her, she was more precious to me than rubies.

Lovely thread.

My little dog has made me love her like one of my children.
She licks my forehead when I have a migraine. She physically cuddled our cat after her spay surgery, for 24 hrs, wouldn't leave her. The day DS went off to university she spent the rest of the day jumping right up into my arms when i was standing. When we got a new puppy....im literally in tears typing this.....as my DH held it on the sofa, she jumped up, balanced on back of sofa, walked behind DHs head, down the arm, to lay her current compensatory pigs ear right under new puppys nose. She's just incredible!

Another feral cat one here, rescued him as a kitten still with his mother (on advice of the PDSA, sadly we couldn't catch any of the others). I say rescued but he literally stood there and let me pick him up while the others scarpered.

I followed all the advice regarding taming him slowly but he was out of the box within 2 hours and sat on my knee within a day all of which he chose to do with no encouragement.

He is wary of other people but he adores me, he jumps all over me like a puppy, he licks my face, nuzzles me constantly, cries for attention from me and will only sit in a room I am in.

From the day I "rescued" him 7 years ago to this day he has never shown a jot of aggression towards me. Even when I have put him in the box to go the vets or given him tablets he will struggle like a demon but always with claws retracted.

He would have been the crappest feral cat ever I'm so glad I found him.

I've never been that sentimental about animals, though I've loved my cats and there was one very distinctive moment of bonding with my last cat. When DS was a newborn, she was old, I knew her kidneys were failing and she'd lost most of her teeth. I neglected her a bit in those final months as I had a toddler and a tiny baby, then one night she hopped onto the bed and just looked at me. And I knew, just knew she was ''telling' me goodbye. The next morning I heard a funny sound and found her in wardrobe making a strange, high pitched purring and knew for certain she was dying, DH and I sat there with her talking to her and stroking her and then she was gone.

@KismetJayn your vole sounds so lovely. Your story made me cry.

I had a pet rabbit and guinea pig as a child. I was very bonded to the guinea pig, he had the loveliest squeak and would sit for ages on my lap being stroked. He was ginger and white and his name was Eric. They lived in the garden in a hutch. One day the hutch door hinge came loose and I got home from school to find the hutch door swinging open. The rabbit had long since escaped for adventures in the big wide world (she was later recovered in a neighbours gatden!) but Eric had stayed in his hutch, eating his carrot with the door open in front of him! Nothing was keeping him there except I must assume he was happy with his lot and had no desire to leave! We were close before but I felt a special connection to him after this, I could never forget his loyalty.

When I was a kid we had a cockatiel who was vicious and hated everybody. He'd peck anyone who went near him and often drew blood.

But he adored my little sister who was about 6 when we got him. He'd croon and sing and nuzzle up to her. We used to let him out of the cage a lot and if he would attack anyone who went near her, full on attack them. He was a weirdo but he loved her.