[ISTP] ISTPs and animals

[Biaxident]

Most kids think of me as a giant playmate/jungle gym

Same.

 

[mcmartinez84]

i like animals a lot.
i had a border collie named Jack for years, he went everywhere with me. so we had a real companionship, and while i had him he was definitely the most meaningful part of my life.

i used to ride horses a lot in west Texas. at some point my wife and i know we are going to start a ranch in New Mexico.

i am drawn to all kinds of animals. i like the simplicity and raw power of them. animals feel to me like they are rooted in reality.
i have 2 tattoos of animals also.

Because animals do not judge.

I'm not terribly fond of dogs. They lick and slobber too much. It gets gross. They also make me smell like dog...and I'm lazy and I hate showering 'cause I'm really slow at it. I feel like I have to shower all of the time when I'm around dogs. Once a day is plenty of showering for me.

I don't mind cats, but they shed everywhere and I feel like I have a hairball all of the time. I like other people's cats. I don't really want one of my own. Having pets = responsibility & restriction.

I didn't mind having a couple of bettas for while ('bout 2 years). Once they died I was ok not replacing them. Fish water is nasty and I had a bowl with no filter or anything. Blegh.

Sooooo.... Other people's cats are cool. I can eventually get them to play with me by ignoring them (as others have said). They just come around. Dogs seem to like me too, altho I ignore them 'cause I don't want dog spit all over me. If I don't pet them at all, they usually leave me alone.

 

[StephMC]

... and while i had him he was definitely the most meaningful part of my life.

I become intensely attached to my pets, just like this. My friends and family always sound surprised to hear that losing my childhood cat was the most traumatic time in my life (I still tear up at the thought), even over some pretty extreme family situations. They're like my child. Last week I was staying at the guy I'm dating's place and I was getting really paranoid about my cat for some reason, even though my roommate looks after her all the time. He calmed me down for a while, but I was on edge most of the night. I should have just called, but I felt silly for being so paranoid Turns out my roommate accidentally locked her in a closet for a good 14 hours, and I found her when I got home

I don't understand it, and had just assumed nothing really out of the ordinary for many people... Over the years if I had a pet that seemed uneasy about a person. That person most definately wasn't invited back...

Same. One time a guy I was dating came over to watch a movie. After the movie was over we discovered my cat left a present in the middle of the room (She never has accidents). Didn't bother calling him after that.

Anyways, I would definitely say animals are an important part of my life. I have almost an irrational amount of empathy for them, that I don't quite have for people. I've loved them ever since I was a baby, when our pet collie would just curl up around me and I'd nap on him. Every time I see a pet, stray cat, or dog, you name it, I immediately stop what I'm doing to approach them, and they come straight to me. I've even taken injured strays to the vet before and skipped meals to pay for their bills. One friend jokes that the fences at the zoo aren't to keep the animals in, but me out.

 

[Quinlan]

All the ISTPs I know are good with animals, they really know how to fillet a fish or skin a deer super quick.

 

[Chuckums]

I was out fishing with my kids and one of their guests and a little green grass snake, about 15" long comes slithering right in front of my chair. These things are great- tame almost as soon as you pick them up.

I pick it up, put it behind my back and go up to my girls and say "I caught a friend!" They know what that means-cool animal. I show it to them and they scream at first, as usual, and then they want to hold it when they see it won't bite.

We go home and they run in the house with it and scare the hell out of the INFJ wife-"Get that snake out of my house!"

They went into the back yard and played all afternoon with it. That night we took it back to where we caught it and let it go. Good times.

 

[Eris]

I love animals! Definitely much more than people for the most part. I'd agree with the OP in the fact that animals don't really judge. Especially when it comes to dogs. They love you no matter what.

I currently have a beagle, and have had him for almost two years now. I definitely have a good relationship with him, and he's probably one of the only things that will bring my feeliness out. I occasionally will tell people conversations I'd have with my dog based on the funny expressions and body language he gives me.

 

[Giant 4ft Ninja]

Ive always been a fan of animals in general except for most dogs (mainly the ones in my house). I had two black cats that I got when i was around the age of 6 when they were just born and they've lived with me over the years moving back and forth between parents and whatnot. one of them would always sit on my lap whenever i was sitting in a chair and would always sleep in my bed with me.

When i moved into a transitional house there was an black cat who didn't really go up to anyone, was mostly an outdoor cat, etc. but supposedly i was one of the first people he would go up to and sit on.. the house was right behind a convenience store that i usually hang out at when im bored and if i see him he will come running up to me if i call him. I've found i can do this with a lot of cats that i just meet, 9 out of 10 walk up to me after a bit even if i give them some attention

dogs on the other hand.. we have 3 in my house; one is scared of just about everyone, another is just getting old and barks if she hears the first one barking, and we have a puppy who just started taking up barking at people for some reason. so whenever i come home at night the scared one can tell im home and starts barking, the second barks cause the first is barking, and the 3rd one can tell im there and the others are barking so he chimes in..

 

[Randomnity]

I like most animals and they're usually friendly with me, though I certainly wouldn't say I have any exceptional talent with understanding them (though I always loved the idea of having that talent, I think I would be deluding myself..)

My cat likes my ISFP bf far more than me, I think, probably because he gives her more attention. I get annoyed when animals get overly needy and whiny (like my cat) and tend to stubbornly ignore them in rebellion.

 

[phoenity]

Animals are simple with easily observable, simple needs. Give them what they need and they will love you unconditionally. They just want to be in your company, nothing more.

Humans are complex, with complex desires and expectations beyond their basic needs, desires and expectations that are difficult to sense and aren't communicated in a straight-forward manner. No matter how hard you try, some people will always want/need more than you are willing or capable of giving.

 

[lookingglassworld]

Animals are simple with easily observable, simple needs. Give them what they need and they will love you unconditionally. They just want to be in your company, nothing more.

Humans are complex, with complex desires and expectations beyond their basic needs, desires and expectations that are difficult to sense and aren't communicated in a straight-forward manner. No matter how hard you try, some people will always want/need more than you are willing or capable of giving.

And that folks explains why animals are ofttimes my boon companions!! People,50/50.

 

[Sinmara]

My dad's practically a beast master. So am I, for that matter. I've had animals that won't let anyone touch or go near them belly-up in my lap, happy as can be, to the complete astonishment of their owners.

We've always been the pied pipers wherever we go. Stray animals will just walk up to us, break into and hang out in our car, just start hanging around our house, etc. They go right for us. It's to such a degree that people actually took notice about how weird it is that they go straight for us. We ended up running a cat shelter out of our house because really, we had no other choice; they just kept showing up.

 

[brainheart]

I'm very good with animals, especially insects. I've never been stung by a bee or a hornet or anything like that in my life. It's because I respect them and I'm not afraid. I value them for what they are. Anything that is alive picks up on that.

What someone said about observing animals vs. jumping in and controlling them/dominating them is huge. I don't expect animals to bend to my will or like me. If they don't want anything to do with me, I respect that. And I never reach out to them. I allow them to come to me. I treat them how I wish others would treat me.

I'm also always rescuing animals- it just always happens to me- anything from a spider to a mouse to a cat to a dog to a deer.

 

[miss fortune]

I like animals, especially dogs... they react with excitement in most of the circumstances in which I do

(food, some form of recreation, someone liked returning home...)

 

[brainheart]

Yeah, most dogs are full-on ESXPs.

 

[sleepy]

Yea, I like animals. I'm very connected to my families dog, when I see her every 3 month or something. But not sure I would want one for my self, doubt it. It was also fun when we had a cat a long time ago. Very cute and evil.

 

[miss fortune]

Yeah, most dogs are full-on ESXPs.

sadly, it's occurred to me that I almost wish people had tails so that I could wag mine

 

[brainheart]

It is sad, truly. We would definitely benefit from tails. I could flick mine around like a cat to warn people to stay the hell away when i want to be left alone. Otherwise, I can not be held accountable if I scratch or bite, cause I warned you-

 

[miss fortune]

that would be a GREAT fluff thread topic!

 

[brainheart]

a fluffy fluff thread

 

[miss fortune]

he he...

oh no! my thoughts led me to plushies and furries and I did NOT want to go there



I think I'll play fetch with the dog to try and take my mind off of that perhaps!