Grateful for ALL types of pets via /r/gratitude

The fact that we exist at all is already such a miracle, and it’s even more amazing how far we’ve come as a species, but the fact that we can have little animal companions is just so amazing!! And I’m sure most of us can agree that common pets like cats and dogs are good companions, which I agree! I have cats, and the fact that you can just stroke their soft fur (which is already nice in itself) and they become happy and purr (which I find therapeutic) and even cuddle depending on the cat is just so AAA I CANT EVEN FIND THE WORDS!!

My cat Juliet cuddles with me every night when I lay down to go to bed, and she even cuddles with me during the day sometimes too, and she is just the most affectionate little thing, I cannot express how grateful I am for her. Her loud purrs lull me to sleep, it legit works better than melatonin for me, and she is just SO cuddly, and she doesn’t just ask for cuddles, she DEMANDS them—I’ll have a book in my lap while trying to read and she’ll come along and flop down on my book, and I can’t even be mad, it’s so cute.

But also, unconventional pets are also so wonderful to have, and they’re super underrated!! This morning I didn’t wanna get out of bed until I remembered I needed to check on my moth—usually I put off any responsibility, but I actually look forward to taking care of animals (except for scooping litter boxes, but I still get that done). Even though not all pets can form bonds like mammals can (though some can learn to trust people/become more friendly, which resembles a bond), there’s still so many amazing things about taking care of them.

Like, for my cats it’s stuff like seeing them get all excited when I open food cans, play with them, etc., but also, especially for pets like moths where they go through a full on metamorphosis, it’s amazing watching a pet grow and thrive. And as sad as it is that pets are usually shorter lived than us, especially bugs, it does really force you to appreciate every day you have with them even more than usual—every day when I see my moth exhibiting healthy behavior I’m just so glad he’s lived as long as he has, he’s living really long for his species. And of course I experience the same with my cats, but it’s stretched out over a longer period of time, so even though I am so glad my kitties are alive as long as they have been, I just kind of expect them to be alive when I wake up, with my moth it’s a pleasant surprise every day. Both species have different benefits for me as my pets, and I love both.

And don’t worry, my cats and my moth are kept very separate! But yeah, it’s just so wonderful that I get to care for creatures, it’s beneficial for both the animals and for myself. If you have a pet, tell them you love them for me 🙂 and even beyond the grave they still make for wonderful yet bittersweet memories, I was listening to the song euthanasia (by will wood) earlier and I was in tears remembering my previous pets, especially my old cat, but I am so glad I had them, they were worth the heartbreak. I hope I can continue owning pets throughout my life and experience all their different quirks and personalities 🙂