This Is MS Multiple Sclerosis Knowledge & Support Community

First of all, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone.

I have a weird question and hoping you all can share some light or similar experiences.

Ever since I became ill and started showing symptoms, animals have been coming up to me like I'm some Disney princess.

I'm not just talking about my pets...any animals. Strangers walking their dogs down the street have to pull their dogs away from me as the dog wags their tail and tries to nuzzle me. Random cats will come up to me outside and circle around me. Even squirrels, rabbits, and...I'm not even kidding....an armadillo...have shown unusual interest in me.

I tried to clean houses in the neighborhood after my job laid me off for a while, and even dogs and cats belonging to those neighbors would come and sit in my lap and would otherwise follow me around the house. On more than one occasion I have heard things like, "Goodness, you must have a special way with animals! Fluffy here has never liked anyone but so and so."

Anyone else have this odd experience? I gotta say, the paranoid person in me is nervous about this. I have read way too many storied about animals being strangely attached to people on death's door to be comfortable inadvertently making friends with wild animals lol!

amblafo35 wrote:Ever since I became ill and started showing symptoms, animals have been coming up to me like I'm some Disney princess.

Welcome to the club. I don't know if it's MS, but cats have always liked me. But then, I had a bad concussion when I was around 5 or 6 so who's to say. Oh, I get along with dogs as well.

but not at the same time I hope...

What do you hope doesn't happen at the same time? Lol

I dislike dogs, and only marginally less, cats. However, we got a cat for Christmas. This is a a 16 1/2 year old female (great combo for humans, not so for kitties) and I guess cat hotels (AKA cat-houses) were all full up for the season, so we were the only stable available. However, in her dotage this tiny and very old tortoise shell/calico has no circulation left, so me being somewhat overweight, and a source of heat, she will not stay away. She scratches at the bedroom door all night. My wife is allergic. Right now she is absorbing whatever heat she can get from my knee and my laptop, and purring loudly. I think if I didn't have MS I would be more of a moving target.

Animals can surely sense ailments and illness. It's their 2nd sense if you will. I have the innate relationship with all animals like forever. Perhaps they knew long time ago and I just found out few months ago.

i don't know about all animals, but science has been spending a certain amount of time on dogs and chronic illness eg cancer, epilepsy, diabetes - not ms specifically though, as far as i can tell

https://scholar.google.ca/scholar?q=olf ... s_ylo=2015

Our corgi can tell when my wife is about to get a migraine/aura a long time before she experiences it. Their (dogs) senses (especially smell and hearing] are unbelievable. They can detect cancer in humans. My dog knows if I'm happy or sad as soon as I come in the room. No facial expressions to give Anything away.

PN