 Short Stories: February 05, 2025 Issue [#12954] |
This week: Companion Animals Edited by: Annette  
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Companion Animals
In 2023, about 66% of all households in the USA had at least one pet.
In 2022, about 70% of all households in Australia had at least one pet.
On average, 50% of European households have a pet.
Clearly, humans choose to live with cats, dogs, birds, reptiles, and other types of animals.
We can tell a lot by the way a person interacts with an animal. As storytellers, we should give our characters more animals. There are many instances of stories in which an animal plays an important role.
Tintin has Snowy. While we don't see Tintin do many of the typical caring tasks, it's obvious from the bond that they share that Snowy is a well-kept animal. He is the kind of dog whose hair needs trimming and he has (like his name) a white coat. The beauty of his perfect trim and cleanliness shows that Tintin is a responsible pet owner. The way they greet each other if one of their adventures separates them proves that it's not just Snowy who gives unconditional love. Tintin too worries for his furry buddy and celebrates with relief when he finds his dog.
Magic practitioners often have a familiar. This can be a cat, but any other animal will do. They have a tendency to hold some magical power of their own, but sometimes they just have some specific utility to fulfill. Harry Potter has a snow owl to bring him his mail. Although there are plenty of mail owls available when needed.
Including an animal into a short story comes with the question whether the animal should speak, have an internal monologue, or be just an animal with animal expressions and behaviors. No matter which one type you choose to be your human character's companion, remember that any animal action will reflect back onto the human character. Does the character's cat look poised to jump off an run under a bookshelf the moment it is released from the owner's grip? Does the dog sit next to or in front of its owner? Does the bird have a repertoire of polite phrases or does it insult everyone who dares enter its domain? Are the fish swimming in a large aquarium with lush plants or circling in a tiny tank?
Have you given your characters pets to make them relatable? |
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