It'd probably be useful to post as well if you lean more towards the zooexclusive or "I feel regular attraction to humans, but also animals as well" side of zoophilia.
I can understand why humans feel certain emotions. I can understand what emotions are appropriate for a certain situation. But for a very long time, I've felt it much easier to actually feel the pain or other emotions that an animal does as opposed to a human, and tend to seek out media with animal protagonists instead of human protagonists because I find it harder to connect with the latter.
It's not because I dislike humans or anything, it's just something that sort of happens with me.
I can easily get through nearly every video involving death or gore, but if an animal is even being abused, it upsets me at a more personal level.
I find it more interesting to watch animals, even pigeons, than to attend a social gathering. I usually prefer their company as well.
Being in the presence of a happy animal makes me feel happier than being in the presence of a happy human (with only one exception), and so on. I didn't even grow up with animals besides owning a few finches, and actually hated dogs/cats for a very long time.
Who else here relates?
Not a zoophile, but I don't really experience much difference between the two. I tend to try to get into the heads of others, even insects, and with that, there always comes a good amount of empathy. Ragerding human gore. it may be because we're desensitized to it on television. If you saw it happen firsthand, you'd probably have a completely different experience.
That said, I do find humans to be a bit banal at times, compared to nonhuman animals.
I feel pretty much the same way. I find it hard to read books about people but if it's about animals ( call of the wild and White fang just 2 examples) I have a very successful marriage, but yet I feel cold towards all humans. Even though I know we're great apes I feel very distant.
I'm autistic, so empathy can be tricky for me. If someone doesn't outright tell me what they're feeling, I cant usually tell unless it's very obvious. The basic definition of empathy as I understand it is being able to "put yourself in another's shoes" and understand what they're feeling from their perspective. That's what I struggle with, I can't imagine the perspective or thought processes of someone else. My brain doesn't naturally register that other people have different emotional responses and thought processes than I do. That's called "mind blindness," and it's super annoying. When a friend makes it clear to me that they're sad for example though, I'll feel sad too because I don't want them to be sad. But it has to be said outright, I don't pick up on it naturally.
ANYWAY, animals are a little different. I can more easily tell what an animal is feeling, at least species that I'm familiar with their behavior and body language. I think animals are easier to read because I understand their body language better. I don't pick up on or understand most human body language and nonverbal cues without a lot of conscious effort, but with animals I don't have to do that and I can pick up on it more easily. And animals don't ever hide what they're feeling like people do, so it's less complicated to try to interpret. I can somewhat "put myself in an animal's shoes," maybe because their thought process is less complex than people? I remember Temple Grandin mentioned in one of her books that autistic people tend to be very visual thinkers, and so are animals, and she theorized that that could contribute to why so many autistic people have better empathy with animals than other people. Because we process the world in a similar way.
I like the company of both animals and people, though I can't be around other people for too long since I have to put a lot of conscious effort into interaction and reading people. It's very draining. And I'm an introvert so I need time to myself to "recharge." I spend all day with my cats and small pets and don't get tired of them being around me. But I do really enjoy spending time with my human friends and definitely couldn't go without it. For the record I'm equally attracted to animals and humans, both romantically and sexually.
Well. For my entire life I have felt more affective and emotional empathy for animals than most people, but I wouldn't say I relate with animals more than I do with people. I don't have your thing like, being more able to tell when an animal is in pain than a human, but I still feel more attached to animals than the average human in that regard anyway. I can enjoy being a lot of time with a dog, doing nothing, just being there and chilling, or sleeping, or other animals, I just don't get bored of it, but I don't even find it fun, I just am a very quiet person that enjoys being quiet and in peace with others. The thing is that most humans aren't like this, at least in a big city like the one I live in, so in that regard I can relate with animals more than with people, just because I'm more "slow paced" and have a whole different concept of entertainment.
However I feel almost 0 sexual attraction to humans and have it more with some animals, but this is totally besides the point because this is a new thing for me, and the other thing I said above is a thing I had in my whole life. I haven't even ever done anything sexual yet but I still assure I enjoy being in company of animals even if we do nothing.
However, I also enjoy being with humans, since they can make possible some types of interaction that are impossible with other animals, and vice versa, so I like both things.... probably that's just it, I like both things almost equally, which is weird from an average perspective (because an average person wouldn't compare animal affection and company to a human one), but you clearly have it more inclined towards animals than humans, for some reason.
I feel less sympathy for most humans in general, so kind of.
Although, I see most animals the same way as a 'good' human, kind of.
But I sympathize with canids way more than anything.
I could see a pigeon get shot, and I would feel bad about it. But if that was a fox, the urge to attack the wrongdoer would be extremely big. I'd also be traumatized and would probably cry.
The amount of disrespect would be really serious.
So I care more about certain species and care less about other certain species.
Dog vs. horse? Dog.
Horse vs. cat? Horse.
I may have made it look like they were easy choices, but they weren't. I would still sympathize with them.
But... It can also depend on how big our bond is and what actions you've done, or what has happened to you.
In the end, we all feel the same pain, and there's always a little sympathy. Except for some really evil beings.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^I ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^enjoy ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^a ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^human's ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^misfortunes, ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^though.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^I ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^haven't ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^laughed ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^because ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^an ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^animal ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^fell ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^on ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^their ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ass. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^But ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^a ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^human ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^failing ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^is ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^pretty ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^funny ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^sometimes.
Same here, but different species prioritization: crocodiles>lizards and snakes>cats>dogs. Few years ago I visited my cousins on holidays. I have never been there before and they had an alligator skull from Florida. I immediately after making sure it was real lost all respect for them.
I'm zooexclusive and, yeah, I don't really have any empathy for humans.
I think what you describe might involve multiple factors. We're desensitized to fictitious human violence in movies, TV, etc., so I wouldn't gauge one's level of empathy on that. If you're stuck only judging examples from TV, maybe try watching Isis propaganda videos, or people being reunited with loved ones, or other non-fiction, and see if you still don't feel any empathy.
Conversely, many people I know will feel bad about a deer laying dead at the side of the road, whether they're zoophiles or not. Many people cry at the end of Old Yeller whether they're zoophiles or not.
I know at least a couple zoophiles who understand my life and actions probably better than I do. As /u/Battlecrops alludes to, these people are out there, who really understand subtle cues from others. But that is by no means a typical anthrosexual trait.
Having said all that, I relate to what you describe, I just don't think there is a direct correlation.
I'm actually going to break the mold here a bit and say that I am very empathetic, to humans and animals both. Though, I consider empathy to be an incredibly important trait, and one that needs active effort as well as existing as a passive trait.
If anything, I tend to have more empathy for humans, but more sympathy for animals.
Since you asked, I'm zoo-exclusive.
I enjoy the company of animals more than that from humans in most cases. I also empathise less with people who have an accident or problem than with animals who do. This is most likely due to the fact that I have better experiences with animals than I do with people, and that I don't enjoy social gatherings with people much since they often are about forms of entertainment that I dislike or find stupid.
For the record, I am a zoophile who likes mares, but I also find certain human females attractive.