Adopting a pet is a big step in life. They are not only your friends, but they also bring lively energy into your home and your business. Unlike inanimate objects, pets actually move and make noise. They are living creatures with their own personalities and emotions. Therefore, they activate your life in a new way. In Feng Shui, pets are considered Yang energy, which is active, bright, and productive. They can help bring more abundance into your life. This is why, in many Asian restaurants or businesses, you see a beckoning cat, a figurine believed to bring good luck, wealth, and prosperity. A moving object creates Yang energy, which attracts money and abundance.

In the world of no physical form, everything exists inside you as potential. When the time comes, you have the desire to manifest that energy outward. Everything you have in your life, your surroundings, is a reflection of you, and your pets are no different. There is a saying in my country: look at the dog, know the owner; look at the kids, know the parents. Your pet shows up in your life because it carries your energy. You might not be aware of this, but it is true. Their behavior is your behavior; they reflect a part of who you are as a person. Therefore, when we look at a pet, we can often tell whether its owner is mentally healthy or not. In this blog, we only talk about cats and dogs because they are widely known as household animals. I’m not sure if this applies to other creatures, such as fish or reptiles. You can read and decide for yourself.

1. Chained and Caged Pets

Pets are living animals. They have their own instincts. They are meant to hunt, run, and travel. They were born to live in nature. When we decide to have an animal friend, we have to make sure that we can create an environment that mimics their natural habitat as much as possible, so that they can live according to their instincts. For example, a dog’s bed should be placed where it can see the front door, so it can observe who is coming, and cats need something high to climb. When pets can live according to their instincts, their energy is balanced; therefore, they are healthy and happy.

When a pet is chained or caged, it is miserable. Cats and dogs are inherently wild animals. They are meant to be active within their own territory. When they are chained, they can only move around a small part of the house, this later creates blockage and negative energy. When pets release too much energy into one place, it is similar to stagnant water: when it can’t flow, it can’t purify itself, so the water becomes dirty and unusable. Keeping a pet in a cage is the quickest way to create negative energy in your life. It becomes stagnant and unpredictable.

That unhappy animal is you. When you have a pet in a cage, you have something being chained in your mind as well. There might be a part of you that you haven’t let free yet, something you try to suppress: a memory, an emotion, or a trauma. People with a free spirit don’t lock their pets in cages. They let them be free and enjoy life. On the contrary, anyone who feels trapped in life, who can’t break free from their own faith, beliefs, or moral rules, tends to keep others in the same prison, both humans and animals. These people are stuck in the cage of their ego, so they reflect it outward by restricting others in a particular area of life.

If you ever consider having a pet, please make sure that you can create a friendly environment for them. They are a part of you; their health is your health. Do not abuse an animal just because you want something cute around you, or force them to serve your own purpose. They are your friends, not your slaves. They have their own characteristics and emotions. They can feel just like any human being. You should always let them be free to run around, at least in a safe area. Only put them in a cage when you travel or when they’re in an unfamiliar environment. If you have to lock them in, make sure you still have time to let them out and run around for a few hours each day. Animals are meant to be wild and free. They are your life and yourself. Treat them the way you want to be treated, or you will regret it.

2. Aggressive Behavior

Usually, aggressive behavior is the result of being chained or caged. When a pet’s energy can’t be expressed in a healthy way, it becomes suppressed and bursts out in random situations. This is especially easy to spot in dogs, since they are naturally more energetic than cats. Dogs with stagnant energy are hostile, bark non-stop, and even ferociously attack other animals and humans.

A fierce dog is always the pet of someone with a bad temper. Just like their animal friend, they have suppressed emotions and unresolved energy that will be triggered at some point. So they are more likely to behave or react aggressively, throw tantrums, and mentally or physically abuse others nonstop. Sometimes, their reactions don’t even match the situation. It’s not because they consciously want to hurt people. Just like their pet, they are prisoners of their own lives. They are stuck in a cage, desperately screaming to be free.

In many other circumstances, pets (both cats and dogs) can be aggressive without being chained or caged. They might behave unpredictably, such as randomly biting people or attacking other animals. This signifies a similar problem: these pets have suppressed energy, just as much as you do. Even if you think they are in a perfectly suitable environment, there is still something missing that you don’t know. Maybe they don’t have enough space to run around, or they don’t have an outlet to express their own instincts, to live as themselves and express the traits of their breed. Animals need to live according to their nature, just as you have to live as your authentic self. Pets with hostile behavior mean you still have trigger points. So work on yourself to shed light on that dark corner. When you no longer block your own essence, you won’t unconsciously react to situations, and neither will your animal friend.

If your pets are not chained but still become hostile sometimes, maybe there is still one of their needs left unfulfilled. This usually shows up during their mating season. You have to let them go out and find a partner, or just let them go outside and have fun regularly. Each animal is different, only you know your pet best. Carefully observe them and yourself, and you’ll see how much resemblance there is between the two of you.

One thing to notice: kids with vicious behavior also come from the same cause. That child’s parents have unexpressed energy, which is passed down to them. So if your children have a bad temper or behave savagely toward other people or animals, the problem originates from you.

3. Unresponsive Pets

In contrast to unpredictable, vicious behavior, I’ve encountered pets that were too quiet or passive. They rarely bark or make any noise. They don’t react when we play with them. They won’t meow when it’s time to eat, and they are barely excited by their toys or games. In my own humble experience, I’ve only seen cats with this type of behavior. Dogs are usually more active and dynamic than cats, so they naturally run around and are restless. Some people see these pets as cute, when they are a little too passive, you can literally do anything to them without much reaction.

These animals leave no impression on people. It’s like having them or not doesn’t make much difference in the lives of their owners. They don’t scream for attention, they don’t demand what they need, such as playing or eating, and they don’t behave like living animals. Many of them just sleep around, hide, and stay quiet all day. With these pets, I see a similarity in their owners: they haven’t found their voice yet. This is different from being quiet and passive. You can have a bad temper without expressing your true voice. These people often struggle to live as their authentic selves. They’re fighting a battle between being who they are and living up to what society expects from them. They’re numbing themselves, resulting in indifferent behavior. Their pets are therefore unresponsive, just as these people let life pass by without much reaction.

A cat or a dog is a wild animal. They are at their healthiest when they act like one. Behaving like a stuffed animal signals that something has been shut down, or that the flow of energy hasn’t been opened yet. Only when your energy field is balanced, expressing itself freely inward and outward, will your pet become happily active. Entertain them and yourself. Explore your hobbies and passions. You should bring more lively energy into your life.

4. Fearful Pets

There is another type of pet: the one with trauma and haunting experiences. Usually, these animals come from shelters, or they lived on the streets before being adopted by humans. Their life in the past must have contained something unpleasant. They could have been abused or tortured by their previous owners, or they lived a hard life searching for food and trying to keep themselves safe. These horrible experiences left a deep impression on them, making them afraid of people or any situation that brings them back to those memories. As a result, these animals are afraid of people and strangers. They often hide in corners, they won’t eat with people around them, and they become anxious and scared of loud noises or unfamiliar movements. Overall, these are traumatized pets that require a lot of time and extra care in order to open up and receive love again.

Similar to the pets, the owners of these cats or dogs are usually people with trauma and painful childhood experiences themselves. They were hurt in the past, so they become hesitant and suspicious when life gets too good or when people are nice to them. They block themselves from opportunities simply because they are too afraid of getting hurt again. When you are wounded, you attract animals with the same energy. By being patient and taking care of these animals, you slowly heal yourself and your past wounds. The key here is to be aware, conscious, and patient. Know that this animal is similar to you. Do not get angry when they don’t open up to receive your love. Just as you become closed off after a horrible experience, these pets need time to fully feel your unconditional love and care. Be patient with them, and the Universe will be patient with you. Gradually, you’ll see the beauty of this world and this life again.

Many people admit having a pet is a wonderful experience in life? They can heal you. They teach you unconditional love. They are a gift to this world. Make sure you treat them well, and the world will return the favor.

5. Clingy Pets

This is actually a good sign. Most pets are clingy. They follow us around the house, they check on us from time to time even when we are still there. They want to be in the bathroom with us, they wait for us when we leave the house, and they can tell right away if we are within a mile of them. Pets are our extended energy. They are you, so them being clingy to you, loving you, and touching you means you are in a good state with yourself. I know this sounds weird. I talk about “you” and “yourself” as if they are two different people, but they are. “You” are your conscious mind, your ego, how you perceive who you are. “Yourself” is your unconscious mind, your soul, your essence. This one manifests outward as your pet and their behavior. When they are always clingy to you without aggressive behavior, meaning they don’t harm you or vice versa, then you are in a good relationship with your true self. Your mentality is healthy. You should consider yourself a pleasant individual.

Your pet is your shadow, so of course they follow you around. This is a lovely experience only pet owners have (I think it’s the same with kids when they are young): having an adorable and loving creature always close to you, wanting to be in your presence. You’ll never feel so loved and treasured.

Happy Pets = Happy Household

Pets are your extended energy, something so strong within you that it needs to be manifested outward as a living animal. I believe the way pets come into our lives is fated, just like how you meet a person or encounter a situation. They come to teach you lessons, to help you learn more about who you are. Happy animal friends equal a happy household. Only in a safe and suitable environment can they be healthy and grow vigorously.

Hence, do not have a pet if you can’t take care of them, if you can’t be sure you can give them a good and safe environment to live and grow. Know what you’re getting into when you sign up for this. You will have ups and downs, just like anything else in life; it’s impermanent. Your pet will likely pass away before you, as the average lifespan of dogs and cats is around 12–15 years, depending on their breed and the care they receive. They will get sick, they will die, and you will have to accompany them through those times. Sadness and mourning are inescapable.

When your pet dies, regardless of whether it is from natural causes or an accident, it means a part of you is dying. It’s time to let that part go. Your animal friend is just the manifestation of who you are. This is similar to the people in your life. Each person also represents a part of you. Their passing means you have to learn the lesson involving that person, or you will forever mourn their departure. Life goes on, and we keep living.

I have a friend. He and his girlfriend used to adopt a cat together. When they broke up and he had a new girlfriend, that cat tragically passed away in an accident. Although he was devastated at that time, looking back, he understood that the cat had to go because it represented the love between him and his ex. When he moved on with his life, the cat completed its mission and moved on with its own journey. When you look at life through a different lens, everything has an answer, and you are no longer sad or pitiful.

There is a saying on the internet that we don’t deserve our pets. They love us unconditionally. They don’t care if we are pretty, rich, or powerful. You are who you are, and they love you dearly. They just want to be with you and follow you around. You might have many relationships and things going on in your life, but to your pets, you are their life, you are their everything. So please do not let them down. Don’t send them away just because you have different plans, or because you welcome new people or a new chapter into your life.

A pet is a contract you sign up for life, just like having kids. To you, they are just a cat or a dog, but to them, you are their world. Losing you puts them into a crisis. They don’t understand the human world. They don’t know that you have to go abroad or that you are getting married. In their minds, they just think you abandoned them, that you no longer want them. They’ll forever live with that pain of abandonment. This trauma takes a long time to recover from. It requires love and patience, and occasionally, even a lifetime can’t heal that pain. If you’re ever in the same situation, how would you want to be treated? Remember that your pet is you, your extended energy. How you treat them will come back to you in the future, so always give them your love and kindness, and make sure their journey with you is full of love, happiness, and beautiful experiences.