19 Times Pets Unintentionally Sent Their Owners Into Panic Mode

To find out what it's like to to have a pet who "nearly" gives you a heart attack by chilling at odd angles, sitting in weird poses, or bathing in paprika powder, Bored Panda reached out to a Twitter user who goes by the handle @_sumola_. The woman from Ottawa, Ontario tweeted a picture of a black cat that appears to have his tail chopped off.

@_sumola_ told us that the mischievous guy, named Void, is her roommate Tally's cat. Tally said that “as Void is the darker darkest, he likes to act very mysterious. But he's also a huge dork. He will reach his paw out to pet you (nails included on occasion) in order to ask for pats.”

Moreover, Tally is convinced that cats and pets in general love giving their owners heart attacks for two reasons. “First, they're little evil gremlins who delight at torture, and second, they like the way you give them the good-good attention afterwards.”

And since Void is completely black, “he likes to sit in the darkest of places, be it my laundry hamper, under the bed, bookshelf, closet.” Tally joked that Void likes to ensure that there are no monsters that can attack her… “Other than him.”

In the end, Tally reminds everyone “adopt, don't shop!” And… she added, “yes, Void's name was UnaVoidable.” We surely saw that part coming, right?

If you've ever been a proud parent to a fur baby, you know how wonderful it is. Pets give us great companionship and, for most of us, they become loving and loyal members of the family. But loving them may come with hardships, too.

The psychotherapist Megan MacCutcheon suggested that there is always a threat for potential stress when you own a pet. “Things like adjusting to owning a new pet, training a pet, acquainting new pets and existing pets, introducing pets and children, and finding solutions to various responsibilities in terms of help with pet sitting, dog walking, etc.”

The biggest hardship may be dealing with the thought that your pet will have to pass one day. “While many pets seem forever young, they do age, their health eventually declines, and we are faced with even more responsibilities as we take care of the additional duties and demands that come with caring for an elderly or sick animal."

Seeing your pet’s health deteriorating, or worse, seeing them suffering, is heartbreaking for any pet parent. Megan suggests the term “pet owner anxiety,” although she hasn’t come across resources specifically related to it.

According to the therapist, it refers to the stress related to pet ownership, which can come in any form. For some, it’s the haunting dread of your pet passing away; for others, it’s the decision of euthanasia; and for most, it's simply seeing them in pain, which causes anxiety and sleepless nights.

Of course, there are always people for whom pets are "just animals." They tend to worry about them less, as they develop less emotional attachment. However, for most humans, it’s not all about being realistic when it comes to having a pet. First, we get deeply attached on the emotional level, and everything comes second.