[chadash]

any connection to pet "relationships" and mental illness?

[chadash]

Oops! It hit me just now that I might need to define the word "relationship"!
I meant anthropomorphism....not the creepy stuff: we don't even want to go there...
Tricky woo was a small dog in one of James Herriot’s All Creature Great and Small books…
He was owned by a little-more-than-eccentric old lady, who imbued him with human qualities (for instance: Tricky woo was an avid letter writer, even had a Labrador for a pen-pal).
That is plenty creepy enough!

[llg]

I don't have a pet ... but I opened this thread just because the title mentioned Tricky Woo. I loved that series. I remember reading the books as well as watching the TV show.

Tricky Woo used to go "flop bot" frequently -- and I think I recall that she had gas.

Thanks for reminding me of the pleasure I got from that series.

[chadash]

It is great to find a lover of Yorkshire lore and eccentricities! We hunted down the whole set of books, mostly from used book stores. Herriot had such a healthy take on life, and though he was a vet, I do think he treated the "human" patient too. Someone should write a similair series for nurses, something like "Adventures in Home Health Care" or "Finding Meaning in Medsurg Mania"...
I had totally forgotten that Tricky had "flop bot"...
I was wondering about the psychiatry of folks that relate to their pets as humans, and lack relationships with people. Is there a connection to hoarding, and what is actually the core disorder? Seems the hoarding and anthromorphism would be presenting symptoms.

[prmenrs]

"Flop Bott" had to do w/impacted anal glands, if I remember correctly!