The Importance of a Pet’s Bond

By Linda Cole

I wrote an article awhile back on how pets find their way back home. Some pet owners claim their dogs and cats are psychic, and there have been a number of studies and experiments using mazes to see if pets can connect with us telepathically. There was an interesting study done in the early 1950s by parapsychologist Dr. Karlis Osis, who experimented with his cats in a maze. There is one researcher, however, who believes the bond we share with our pets may go much deeper than we realize, and it's our bond that may make it possible for some lost pets to find their way back home. Bonding is what binds us together, and understanding a pet's love just might make you see them in a whole new light. We should never take for granted the importance of a pet's bond.

Rupert Sheldrake is a biologist and author who has an interesting theory on the connection some pets have with their owners. He believes pets have the ability to connect with their owners telepathically, and conducted experiments to prove it. Sheldrake filmed pets waiting at home for their owner to return. Pet owners assume their pet knows when they are close to home because they can recognize the sound of their owner's vehicle, but not all pet owners have a car. Some people use public transportation. To eliminate the possibility of a pet recognizing the familiar sound of a car engine, Sheldrake asked pet owners to think about going home at random times and then travel there by taxi. In each instance, the moment the owner thought about heading home, that was when the pet moved to a window or door to wait for their owner to return. Sheldrake believes this proves the telepathic connection our pets have with us.

He also says morphic fields exists in all mammals and links groups of social animals, including us, together at the cellular level; pets may actually bond with their owner at the very core of who we are. According to Sheldrake, a pet that has formed a strong bond with their owner feels a physical link. When that link is broken, there's a disruption in the rhythm the pet feels, which may be one of the ways some pets are able to find their owner over long distances. When they go in search of someone they love, they begin to feel more in balance as they close the distance between the person or another animal they are looking for.

I find this theory interesting – I want to believe that it's possible to have such a deep and strong bond with our pets. We know how important building a bond is, but the importance of it should not be taken for granted. Why is it pets have the ability to give us unconditional love and give it willingly, without question? We have to earn their trust, and once we have it a pet never asks for anything more. They accept us as is, and will forever honor their end of the unsigned contract we make with them.

A pet's bond isn't always with just us. Sometimes it's with another pet and it can also be with a wild animal. Many people don't give animals credit for having a caring soul. We can get so wrapped up in the ‘it's not possible’ way of thinking that we don't see what's right in front of our noses. Our pets have the ability to form lifelong relationships with humans and other animals, just like we do. Dogs and cats have walked hundreds and even thousands of miles to get back to someone they held a strong connection with. There's no mistaking the power and importance of a pet's bond.

Sheldrake has done extensive research to prove his theory concerning our pets' telepathic abilities. This is probably one of the best explanations on how pets know when we're coming home and how some pets can find their owner over long distances. Of course, there are critics who discount any notion of pets having psychic abilities.

The simple fact is our pets want to be with us, no matter where we are. They would be happy living in a tent, if that's where we were. We want what's best for them and purchase high-quality healthy pet food, like CANIDAE, and we walk miles with our dogs to make sure they stay fit in mind and body. I've always thought my pets were unique and special, but now I do look at them in a new light, and I realize how deep our bond can go. The love we share with our pets really is priceless and forever.

Photo by Stefano Mortellano

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