People Say Your Relationship With Animals Reflects Your Capacity for Love

Is it true?

Acamea
Hello, Love
Published in
4 min readMay 24, 2020

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Photo by sarandy westfall on Unsplash

I may be one of the only people who swipes left on most dating profiles when the person has a picture of or with their dog(s). It’s not that I take issue with the photo or having a pet in general. It’s just, on a dating app, you post pictures that are indicative of your life — things you enjoy and that are important to you. So, those with these types of photos likely have a special bond with their animal companions. They don’t just have a pet. They’re dog or cat lovers.

I’m not.

I don’t see how it could work between us. Having a pet isn’t a deal-breaker, but the idea is unappealing. I’m sure the feeling is likely to be mutual and these prospective mates would also have a low tolerance for my stance. So …. Why bother?

I would never hurt an animal or tolerate seeing one hurt. I’m simply not a pet person. We had dogs in the household when I was a child. So, it’s not from lack of exposure.

I’ve just never felt compelled to cuddle with or rub animals, have them lick my face, or sleep in my bed. I don’t want them on me at all. However, these things are pretty standard for people with furry friends. This is basic dog dad/mom stuff.

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Acamea
Hello, Love

Pushcart Prize nominated essayist and memoirist. Author. Music connoisseur. Multi-passionate creative. I’ve lost a lot of sleep to dreams….