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[Snickerdoodlesmom]

I attempt to do everything for my baby boy. This summer most of my friends went on programs to Italy, Spain, Israel, hawaii, etc. I stayed behind in our NYC apartment to care for Nickers. When I complete high school, I intend on going to a local cuny school so he won't feel abandoned. But my question is: do you guys think he knows I love him? Do they have like a sixth sense or something?

[GrayRodent]

Sounds like a philosophical kind of question. My opinion here is strictly my own btw and I know not everyone will agree or approve of my philosophical worldview. So if you want to roast me because of it at least you've been warned.

In my experience animals are creatures of habit. They can adapt if you gradually change their schedule or condition them to modify their behavior. A well socialized animal may get depressed if it does not receive attention that it is used to especially when that involves physical exercise and mental stimulation it needs to live. Some animals will die if left alone in a kennel except for basic cleaning and feeding so there is an additional aspect of good husbandry for animals that depend on us to survive when they have been domesticated.

Apart from that human bonds are not as important to animals as they are to us. For all we know it could be of no consequence at all to them. The fact is that as long as their environment is non-threatening and their basic needs are met animals do just fine. They will not be as tame when you remove human interaction and may not be as useful to us but they will survive and live on in their own way and find a new norm. If you want to superimpose human emotion and experience onto animal intelligence you will run into trouble with behavioral problems in your pets because animals simply don't work the same. You will find something missing there that is intrinsic only to people because we have a different design and purpose. I think that touches on your question because animals just do not operate on that kind of transcendent spiritual level as we do that expresses those kinds of thoughts.

I think it's important to not neglect the good things in life because you are afraid of offending your pets. Now we are accountable for the health and well being of our pets. There is nothing wrong with putting your pets in the hands of a competent caretaker even for extended stays. I personally have gone through great lengths and expense caring for pets all my life and treat them almost like children. But it goes too far when we think of them as people and it ends up doing nothing for your pets and causes unnecessary hardship for you.

[mojito]

I agree that you shouldn't abandon all great opportunities! I have a horse and am responsible to pay for his boarding, so I stayed at home and commuted to school (which thank goodness, a good university isn't far from me) and worked to pay for him. It would have been hard to move him, and I wouldn't ever have been able to see him since he lived only a few minutes away from me. However there were opportunities like going a semester to Hawaii or to another school that I turned down in fear that I wouldn't be able to find a good job (I worked at a salon & cater company at the time) to pay for him since my parents couldn't afford him and an apt. Now he's about 30-40 mins away and even tho I still go to the same school I barely have any time to see him anymore! I used to feel terrible and that he would get lonely or depressed but he loves his new barn (way more room than his old barn) and I just keep thinking to myself 'I'm having to do this for just a little while but then I'll have my degree AND I'll get to be around you all the time again!' I think I have learned the lesson too late.
Just know that chins live for 10-20 years, plus if you go abroad you will likely be over there for a year at the most so you won't miss much. You can even do it for the summer or 4-6 weeks. Go to the school that you want to where you want to, and when you're done think of all the spoiling you'll be able to do! In the end that would make you both happy!