Just as you can front direct objects for emphasis, you can do the same with indirect objects (the receiver or beneficiary of an action). Moving the indirect object to the very front of the sentence is highly common when comparing actions done for different people or animals: "To the hamster, I gave hay."
The Dative Resumption Rule
Whenever you move an indirect object to the beginning of the sentence, Romanian grammar requires you to "resume" it. You must add the unstressed dative pronoun (clitic) right in front of the verb to refer back to that fronted noun.
For a third-person singular noun in the dative case (like hamsterului or pisicii), the pronoun used depends on the starting letter of the verb that follows.
Before Vowels and the Past Tense: i-
If the following word starts with a vowel, such as the auxiliary verb am in the past tense (perfect compus), the dative pronoun attaches directly to it as i-.
| I showed the parrot to the veterinarian. | Veterinarului i-am arătat papagalul. |
| I cleaned the cage for the hamster so he can sleep well. | Hamsterului i-am curățat cușca ca să doarmă bine. |
| I emptied the can into the bowl for the cat. | Pisicii i-am golit conserva în bol. |
Before Consonants: îi
When the verb starts with a consonant—which is very common in the present and imperfect tenses—the dative pronoun takes its full form, îi, and sits directly in front of the verb.
| I usually offer a treat to the parrot in the cage. | Papagalului îi ofer de obicei o recompensă în cușcă. |
| I used to put hay for the hamster in the morning. | Hamsterului îi puneam fân dimineața. |
| I often used to open cans for the cat as a treat. | Pisicii îi deschideam adesea conserve ca recompensă. |