Do They Mind If I Bring Home Another Animal?
Of all the questions people bring to me, this one carries the most guilt. Someone will sit across from me, eyes down, and almost whisper it: Would she be upset if I got another cat? Would he feel like I'm replacing him?
Let me share what the animals themselves have told me, again and again, for over twenty-three years.
They are not jealous. Not one of them has ever told me they felt betrayed by a new animal in the home. What they feel, watching from the other side, is joy. They see the empty food bowl, the leash still hanging by the door, the quiet house, and they see your heart aching inside it. Nothing would make them happier than to see that love flowing again.
Here is something that surprises many people: our animals in spirit often help choose the one who comes next. I have lost count of the sessions where a departed companion described the new arrival before the family had even met them, a scrappy little tuxedo cat, a senior dog nobody else wanted, a horse three towns over. They nudge us toward shelters on certain days. They whisper to the new animal, too, preparing them for the family they're about to join.
And no, the new animal does not push the old one out of your heart. Love doesn't work that way, and our companions on the other side know it better than we do. The bond you shared is eternal. It has its own room in your heart, and that door never closes. A new animal simply builds a new room beside it.
If you're feeling that tug toward another companion but guilt keeps holding you back, try this: sit quietly, picture your beloved friend, and ask them how they feel about it. Then notice what comes, a feeling of lightness, an image, a sudden sense of peace. That's your answer.
They don't want to be your last love. They want to be part of a heart that keeps on loving.
Listen2Animals.com
Debbie Johnstone
