SOLVED. YA book read in early 2000s - man accidentally bonds with a rat/mouse [s]

[Katie]

YA book that I read in the early 2000s. people can bond to animals though I don't remember why they do it. there's a university where people can learn how to bond to animals. one professor is bonded to primates and another is bonded to some type of bird. a guy is ready to find the animal he is gonna bond to. he goes north to where he's from so he can bond with a arctic Fox or something like that. he boards a ship and either gets hurt or falls I'll and accidentally bonds with a rat/mouse. he starts worrying about people forcing him to break the bond while still on the ship. that's all I remember but I think that all that happens at the beginning of the book.

[Ayshe]

Animist by Eve Forward?

[Katie]

Yes that is it! thank you!