House pets

 

HOUSEPET AS A SYMBOL

→ you can incorporate a housepet to serve as a symbol. You can give the MC a very lazy cat (because they also are), a mouse (because they're very innocent), or a hamster left after their ex (to symbolize they're not moved on yet)

HOUSEPET AS A WAY TO SHOW THE CHARACTER’S PERSONALITY

→ you can add parts with the character taking care of the pet (to show they're caring), or describe how the pet food is everywhere around (to show they're messy), point at the neglect, you can make the character talk their thoughts out loud to their animal,...

HOUSEPET AS A SUPPORT

→  the pet can serve as an immediate mental support for the character - for example alarming people around when the character goes through a panic attack)

→ the pet can be a mental support for a disabled character (for example if they're blind or faint often)

HOUSEPET AS AN OBSTACLE 

→ you can include a housepet to explain why a character can't for example leave the town for a week; or they can't go out, because their pet is sick

SOME GENERAL RULES…

→ there's no meaning in adding the pet just to mention it twice and be forgotten - let them have an impact on the character

→ having a housepet is a responsibility, so remember the character has to take care of it

→ make sure to research a little about the animal, so u don't make mistakes and illogical choices while writing

→ don't go for the overused trope of including the animal just to make it die and make readers suffer emotionally

OTHER WAYS TO INCLUDE AN ANIMAL

→ spirit animals

→ the human’s ability to turn into an animal /and the other way around/

→ including the animal's POV

→ to add emotions to the setting (for example a raven, appearing suddenly behind the window)

→ animals serving humans - for example owls carrying letters

✨ ANIMAL SYMBOLICS ✨

Horse - freedom, adventure, independence, endurance

Rabbit - creativity, love, cleverness, sensitivity 

Turtle - wisdom, patience, protection, peace

Lizard - imagination, adaptability, quick-wit, sensitivity 

Mouse - stealth, modesty, grounded, innocence 

Cat - independence, cleverness, exploration

Dog - loyalty, protection, love, devotion

Fish - rebirth, luck, change, stability & balance

Hedgehog - curiosity, adaptability, abundance

Birds - meanings depend on the specific type; collectively they symbolize the transition between life and death and liberty

Snake - regeneration, underworld, fertility

Some tropes connected to house pets (from tvtropes.org):

Beast in the Building: An animal is unexpectedly found in a building

Empathy Pet: A pet whose emotions and behavior reflect those of its owner

Jealous Pet: Pets are overprotective of their owners and get jealous easily

Thieving Pet: A pet steals human things

Animal Chick Magnet: A man uses an animal to flirt with women