Furry Dependents

One of six “Diagnoses” under my Relationships Heartbeat — because the animals in my house count as family, not decor.

It’s easy to let pet care slide into the “good enough” category: food in the bowl, litter box scooped, nobody’s actively suffering. This one is about doing better than good enough — regular grooming and vet visits instead of reactive ones, actual play and attention instead of just coexisting in the same rooms, and treating their wellbeing as a real line item in my week instead of an afterthought.

It’s a smaller goal than some of the others on this list, but it’s a good gauge of whether I’m actually present for the things depending on me, or just going through the motions.