Ever see those viral videos of when a newborn meets their parent's identical twin?
Those videos of bewildered babies are adorable! But what can be cuter than a baby? How about... a pet? You would assume most animals could distinguish between people by smell, but sometimes it may take a pet a minute to understand that they are looking at two identical people.
Redditor u/avianthon asked people to share their pet's reaction to their identical twin, and it proved that animals aren't always as sharp as we may think.
20. They become a lap dog
"My sister lives an hour or so away and doesn't see my dog that much but she gets far more excited to see her than anyone else. She's a 70 pound pit and we are 5'1' and gets right in the center of her lap. It's very cute and funny."
19. Cat and dog people
"I have a dog, my twin has a cat. They both treat us like a different human. My dog adores my twin sister and her cat adores me."
18. They listen very well
"Not a twin, but my sis and I sound and look alike. My lab/blue heeler mix will greet her like she's me. Madi (the dog) loves my sister (who tolerates dogs) almost on par with me. My sis lives 3 hours away, so we only see her a few times a year, but man, Madi listens to her like a champ. Madi knows its not me, but she still respects her as a leader of the pack."
18. She never forgot that vet visit
Giphy"My cat (died in December) hated my sister. She first met her when she was a kitten and was actually the person who took her to get spayed because I had to work. Up until that point she seemed to tolerate my sister so she blames that on the personality turn. Either way even when my sister lived with me for a few months when she moved back to this state my cat never warmed to her."
17. This lizard was afraid
"My red eyed crocodile skink kept looking at the two of us then ran in it's cage"
16. They can smell who is who
"Idk what happened to others, but I have 2 friends who are identical twins, they own a golden retriever. One of them, Quincy, owns the dog. They lived separately and when they reunited, me and the dog were there. And the dog was ok, he could smell who's Quincy and who's not. But at the end turns out, the dog likes me the best."
15. This cat loves everyone
"I'm an identical twin and adopted a cat 3 years ago. She's had no different reaction to my brother than me. She's super chill and loves all people."
14. These pets are very welcoming
"My cat doesn't see my brother too much, but if he sees us on the couch together watching football or something, he'll alternate between the two of us like we're the same person. He doesn't really freak out or anything. I just think it's hilarious that my cat doesn't even really know my brother and he still treats him like family, but won't give my roommates the time of day. He either knows we're twins, or thinks we're the same person."
13. This dog was confused by matching outfits
"Our sons are not twins at all, but people mistake them for one another all the time. Oldest son left for 2 years during which time we got a new dog. New dog did not like oldest son when he returned, but adored youngest son from the get go. One day both sons walked in the door wearing the same outfit (not planned) and the dog stood there not knowing who to bark at and who to go to for loves."
12. This dog had to pause
"His dog Pablo the pitbull lost his freaking mind when I walked in, then my brother walked he just.. froze"
11. Like having another dad
"Our dog loves my husband's twin! He went crazy for him immediately, and jumps on him like he does my husband."
10. The cat didn't know who to trust
Giphy"My mom is an identical twin. My childhood cat Linus was a total scaredy cat, abused at an early age and terrified of new people, but an absolute sweetheart with us. When my aunt came to visit for the first time, Linus walked right up to her and snuggled against her leg. She started scratching him and all was going great until he saw my mom. Cue very quick back-and-forth head turns, followed by running up the stairs and hiding for hours! Poor baby!"
9. Pups and kids can't tell the difference
"Rusty was a good boy and was ecstatic there were two of us. More to play with, I guess. He learned to tell us apart though, and I kind of felt like an indulgent uncle with him. It's even more fun as my brother and I have had children in our own families and they can't tell us apart until they are almost two."
8. The birds wouldn't fall for it
Giphy"My dad and his brother were identical and same voice, too. My dad rescued a nest of bird babies whose mama never came back and he would feed them. He would go outside and say 'where are my babies?' And their little heads would pop up, chirping and chattering and he would feed them.
One day his brother came over and my dad told him to go out and say 'where are my babies?' And the birds stayed silent. Not a peep.
He tried again to no avail. My dad said it and instantly the babies popped up and chirping.
They couldn't see him, and his voice was identical yet they just knew. It was uncanny!"
7. An evil twin
"Identical twin here. It's weird because my dog loves me but HATES my sister. Like, when she comes around he growls at her and barely lets her touch him. I have no idea why, he isn't like this to the rest of my family or friends. Maybe he thinks she is an imposter? Lmao we have no idea!"
6. Poor pup...
"My dad and my uncle were identical twins - their voices sound so similar even my mom would get confused before the invention of caller ID. My dad passed away last year, and when my uncle came over the family beagle didn't notice, but when my uncle spoke he perked up. But then he would go and sniff him and get sad again."
5. They can smell the difference
"I'm an identical twin, my dogs had no issues distinguishing between me and my sister. They could tell by smell."
4. Cats don't mess around
"My twin and I have lived separately and together several times. My dog treated my sister and me like two separate members of the same family, but both our cats (one is mine, one is hers) have made it clear from the beginning the other twin is a second class citizen. We have exactly the same voice so when we visit each other there's about 1 minute of 'why are there two of you' and then it's business as usual."
3. The voice was confusing
"my grandfather had a younger brother whose voice sounded indistinguishable from his own, to all us humans anyway. they were not twin like in appearance (nor scent, one assumes).
one day our big studly master of his domain German Shepard catches Uncle Reggie on the front porch and starts going at him and Uncle Reggie says, 'oh Scout, now stop that.'
And Scout did the full cartoon stop, head sideways, and that whimper that sounds like a question mark.
So his appearance wasn't mistaken by the dog at all - but he did confuse the hell out of him with the identical voice."
2. I feel so bad for this loyal dog
"Long time ago my grandfather had a dog that went with him to work the fields on his farm. He passed away and dog stayed with my father and his mother. G-father's brother came up the driveway one day to visit, walking and looking like my g-pa. The dog went crazy in the house. She was barking and going from window to window. They finally let her out as he was walking up the steps to the porch. She ran up to him all excited until she saw it wasn't her master. It was like someone had kicked her. The tail went under and she slowly walked over to her bed and laid down in her sadness."
1. It's thrilling to have two owners
"The first oddly-specific ask reddit I am qualified to answer. My dog lost his mind when my twin came to visit. He excitedly dashed back and forth between the two of us thrilled to see us both.
Then again, he's a golden retriever so he does that with everyone."
Experiencing death is a fascinating and frightening idea.
Who doesn't want to know what is waiting for us on the other side?
But so many of us want to know and then come back and live a little longer.
It would be so great to be sure there is something else.
But the whole dying part is not that great, so we'll have to rely on other people's accounts.
Redditor AlaskaStiletto wanted to hear from everyone who has returned to life, so they asked:
"Redditors who have 'died' and come back to life, what did you see?"
Sensations
Happy Good Vibes GIF by Major League SoccerGiphy"My dad's heart stopped when he had a heart attack and he had to be brought back to life. He kept the paper copy of the heart monitor which shows he flatlined. He said he felt an overwhelming sensation of peace, like nothing he had felt before."
PeachesnPain
Recovery
"I had surgical complications in 2010 that caused a great deal of blood loss. As a result, I had extremely low blood pressure and could barely stay awake. I remember feeling like I was surrounded by loved ones who had passed. They were in a circle around me and I knew they were there to guide me onwards. I told them I was not ready to go because my kids needed me and I came back."
"My nurse later said she was afraid she’d find me dead every time she came into the room."
"It took months, and blood transfusions, but I recovered."
good_golly99
Take Me Back
"Overwhelming peace and happiness. A bright airy and floating feeling. I live a very stressful life. Imagine finding out the person you have had a crush on reveals they have the same feelings for you and then you win the lotto later that day - that was the feeling I had."
"I never feared death afterward and am relieved when I hear of people dying after suffering from an illness."
rayrayrayray
Free
The Light Minnie GIF by (G)I-DLEGiphy"I had a heart surgery with near-death experience, for me at least (well the possibility that those effects are caused by morphine is also there) I just saw black and nothing else but it was warm and I had such inner peace, its weird as I sometimes still think about it and wish this feeling of being so light and free again."
TooReDTooHigh
This is why I hate surgery.
You just never know.
Shocked
Giphy"More of a near-death experience. I was electrocuted. I felt like I was in a deep hole looking straight up in the sky. My life flashed before me. Felt sad for my family, but I had a deep sense of peace."
Admirable_Buyer6528
The SOB
"Nursing in the ICU, we’ve had people try to die on us many times during the years, some successfully. One guy stood out to me. His heart stopped. We called a code, are working on him, and suddenly he comes to. We hadn’t vented him yet, so he was able to talk, and he started screaming, 'Don’t let them take me, don’t let them take me, they are coming,' he was scared and yelling."
"Then he yelled a little more, as we tried to calm him down, he screamed, 'No, No,' and gestured towards the end of the bed, and died again. We didn’t get him back. It was seriously creepy. We called his son to tell him the news, and the son said basically, 'Good, he was an SOB.'”
1-cupcake-at-a-time
Colors
"My sister died and said it was extremely peaceful. She said it was very loud like a train station and lots of talking and she was stuck in this area that was like a curtain with lots of beautiful colors (colors that you don’t see in real life according to her) a man told her 'He was sorry, but she had to go back as it wasn’t her time.'"
Hannah_LL7
"I had a really similar experience except I was in an endless garden with flowers that were colors I had never seen before. It was quiet and peaceful and a woman in a dress looked at me, shook her head, and just said 'Not yet.' As I was coming back, it was extremely loud, like everyone in the world was trying to talk all at once. It was all very disorienting but it changed my perspective on life!"
huntokarrr
The Fog
"I was in a gray fog with a girl who looked a lot like a young version of my grandmother (who was still alive) but dressed like a pioneer in the 1800s she didn't say anything but kept pulling me towards an opening in the wall. I kept refusing to go because I was so tired."
"I finally got tired of her nagging and went and that's when I came to. I had bled out during a c-section and my heart could not beat without blood. They had to deliver the baby and sew up the bleeders. refill me with blood before they could restart my heart so, like, at least 12 minutes gone."
Fluffy-Hotel-5184
Through the Walls
"My spouse was dead for a couple of minutes one miserable night. She maintains that she saw nothing, but only heard people talking about her like through a wall. The only thing she remembers for absolute certain was begging an ER nurse that she didn't want to die."
"She's quite alive and well today."
Hot-Refrigerator6583
Well let's all be happy to be alive.
It seems to be all we have.
Trying to lose weight is a struggle understood by many people regardless of size.
The goal of reaching a healthy weight may seem unattainable, but with diet and exercise, it can pay off through persistence and discipline.
Seeing the pounds gradually drop off can also be a great motivator and incentivize people to stay the course.
Those who've achieved their respective weight goals shared their experiences when Redditor apprenti8455 asked:
"People who lost a lot of weight, what surprises you the most now?"
Redditors didn't see these coming.
Shiver Me Timbers
"I’m always cold now!"
– Telrom_1
"I had a coworker lose over 130 pounds five or six years ago. I’ve never seen him without a jacket on since."
– r7ndom
"140 lbs lost here starting just before COVID, I feel like that little old lady that's always cold, damn this top comment was on point lmao."
– mr_remy
Drawing Concern
"I lost 100 pounds over a year and a half but since I’m old(70’s) it seems few people comment on it because (I think) they think I’m wasting away from some terminal illness."
– dee-fondy
"Congrats on the weight loss! It’s honestly a real accomplishment 🙂"
"Working in oncology, I can never comment on someone’s weight loss unless I specifically know it was on purpose, regardless of their age. I think it kind of ruffles feathers at times, but like I don’t want to congratulate someone for having cancer or something. It’s a weird place to be in."
– LizardofDeath
Unleashing Insults
"I remember when I lost the first big chunk of weight (around 50 lbs) it was like it gave some people license to talk sh*t about the 'old' me. Old coworkers, friends, made a lot of not just negative, but harsh comments about what I used to look like. One person I met after the big loss saw a picture of me prior and said, 'Wow, we wouldn’t even be friends!'”
"It wasn’t extremely common, but I was a little alarmed by some of the attention. My weight has been up and down since then, but every time I gain a little it gets me a little down thinking about those things people said."
– alanamablamaspama
Not Everything Goes After Losing Weight
"The loose skin is a bit unexpected."
– KeltarCentauri
"I haven’t experienced it myself, but surgery to remove skin takes a long time to recover. Longer than bariatric surgery and usually isn’t covered by insurance unless you have both."
– KatMagic1977
"It definitely does take a long time to recover. My Dad dropped a little over 200 pounds a few years back and decided to go through with skin removal surgery to deal with the excess. His procedure was extensive, as in he had skin taken from just about every part of his body excluding his head, and he went through hell for weeks in recovery, and he was bedridden for a lot of it."
– Jaew96
These Redditors shared their pleasantly surprising experiences.
Shopping
"I can buy clothes in any store I want."
– WaySavvyD
"When I lost weight I was dying to go find cute, smaller clothes and I really struggled. As someone who had always been restricted to one or two stores that catered to plus-sized clothing, a full mall of shops with items in my size was daunting. Too many options and not enough knowledge of brands that were good vs cheap. I usually went home pretty frustrated."
– ganache98012
No More Symptoms
"Lost about 80 pounds in the past year and a half, biggest thing that I’ve noticed that I haven’t seen mentioned on here yet is my acid reflux and heartburn are basically gone. I used to be popping tums every couple hours and now they just sit in the medicine cabinet collecting dust."
– colleennicole93
Expanding Capabilities
"I'm all for not judging people by their appearance and I recognise that there are unhealthy, unachievable beauty standards, but one thing that is undeniable is that I can just do stuff now. Just stamina and flexibility alone are worth it, appearance is tertiary at best."
– Ramblonius
People Change Their Tune
"How much nicer people are to you."
"My feet weren't 'wide' they were 'fat.'"
– LiZZygsu
"Have to agree. Lost 220 lbs, people make eye contact and hold open doors and stuff"
"And on the foot thing, I also lost a full shoe size numerically and also wear regular width now 😅"
– awholedamngarden
It's gonna take some getting used to.
Bones Everywhere
"Having bones. Collarbones, wrist bones, knee bones, hip bones, ribs. I have so many bones sticking out everywhere and it’s weird as hell."
– Princess-Pancake-97
"I noticed the shadow of my ribs the other day and it threw me, there’s a whole skeleton in here."
– bekastrange
Knee Pillow
"Right?! And they’re so … pointy! Now I get why people sleep with pillows between their legs - the knee bones laying on top of each other (side sleeper here) is weird and jarring."
– snic2030
"I lost only 40 pounds within the last year or so. I’m struggling to relate to most of these comments as I feel like I just 'slimmed down' rather than dropped a ton. But wow, the pillow between the knees at night. YES! I can relate to this. I think a lot of my weight was in my thighs. I never needed to do this up until recently."
– Strongbad23
More Mobility
"I’ve lost 100 lbs since 2020. It’s a collection of little things that surprise me. For at least 10 years I couldn’t put on socks, or tie my shoes. I couldn’t bend over and pick something up. I couldn’t climb a ladder to fix something. Simple things like that I can do now that fascinate me."
"Edit: Some additional little things are sitting in a chair with arms, sitting in a booth in a restaurant, being able to shop in a normal store AND not needing to buy the biggest size there, being able to easily wipe my butt, and looking down and being able to see my penis."
– dma1965
People making significant changes, whether for mental or physical health, can surely find a newfound perspective on life.
But they can also discover different issues they never saw coming.
That being said, overcoming any challenge in life is laudable, especially if it leads to gaining confidence and ditching insecurities.