I realise that this makes me sound batshit (
) But does anyone else have some kind of sense picking up on emotions with animals? Like it's innate?
I feel it most strongly with my oldest cat. He's now 11 and I've always been able to sense if something is wrong or tap into what kind of mood he's in. It works both ways. If I'm upset he comes to me. My childhood dog did the same. No matter where in the house I am, even outside.
I didn't think much of it for years. As time's gone on I'm seeing a link. I'm able to calm animals (even when they're panicked) as long as I'm calm myself. The more I've thought about it I've remembered things from being a kid. From horses to hamsters.
A cat I had years ago was hit by a car. I felt something and looked out of the window to see him a split second after he was hit, right in front of my house. I was in the middle of changing a nappy so certainly wouldn't have been looking out anyway.
It's hard to describe, the only way I can try to is like how some people associate colours with particular emotions and things like that. That strikes me as odd but it's such a weird inbuilt thing.
For what it's worth I'm definitely not a woo type of person.
I could list a ridiculous amount of examples, from delivering kittens (only assisting when there were difficulties) to guiding stuck or scared animals out of a dangerous situation.
I just know. People will argue that I'm picking up on stress behaviour signals, but it's not like that just looking, it's a feeling right in the middle of my chest that I respond to instinctively. I don't feel anything like it with people.
Do your worst vipers, you're too human for me to tap into 