Pet Tales: Healing power of pets
How has your pet helped you through hard times? A recent study of chimpanzee behavior shows a connection between consolation and stress reduction. For more proof, check out this comment from Teddy’s Mom, an ajcpets.com reader who shared how her cat found her:
My divorce papers had just arrived and I was sitting on the deck wondering just what I was going to do and feeling more alone then I ever had my whole life. Suddenly, this furry thing was bumping my knee purring. This beautiful cat just appeared out of nowhere. She is a longhaired, sable brown, golden eyed beauty.
The vet said that she is a rare breed of a cat and most likely lost. Put out ads etc but when no one claimed her, I did. My Teddy Bear came at the perfect time in my life and helped me regain my joy.
Share your story. And if you need a reminder of the healing power of pets, take a look at the most recent gallery of Atlanta’s Smiling Pets (aka: Pets that make us smile!)
Photo by Seth Wenig / Associated Press
Sisters Caycee, left, and Caytie Ribble are reunited with their pets Oreo the cat and Dusty the rabbit Saturday in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Their mother and her boyfriend returned to their house through waist-high water for the first time since Wednesday to rescue the animals.
Getting my Chihuahua, Zorro, made me less of a workaholic. I found that having to come home to let him out was a great reason to keep more managable hours at work. I’d be very upset if anything happened to my little midget.
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My two Pugs are there for me daily when I need to be cheered up. If I have had a bad day at work, all it takes is for one of them to come sit in my lap and look up at me to put it all into perspective and help me realize that whatever is troubling me doesn’t really matter that much. They are my angels and are absolutely the best therapy to whatever has me feeling down.
As for being stress relievers, it is hard to feel stressed when one of my Pugs gives me a goofy grin or squeaks their toy wanting to play.
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Four years ago near Christmas I had to have my beloved Siamese cat put to sleep — we’d been together 18 years. He was my soul mate. I didn’t get any pet to replace him. The summer after that something else triggered a very serious depression that lasted several months. Last year I got 2 great, lively kittens from a local shelter. I realize now how much having a pet can almost literally save your life. My kitties are the best! They make me laugh, give me smiles and love, and live to play.
My boy kitty “helped” mom balance her checkbook last night by laying across it on the table. Can’t do without my furry kids!
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I’ve spent time in Hospice for a relative and they allow pets to visit. It’s amazing how pets can be the only thing that can bring a smile to a dying person.
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Yes, he did. I have a Carien Terrier and when my wife left me and started sleeping with my best friend, I was in a very bad place. But having him around really helped lift my spirits some days. In a time that I felt all alone, he was there to remind me that someone loved me. I am not sure I would have made it through without him.
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I swear my yellow lab was sent to me by my deceased kitty. We were looking for a new kitty at the Gwinnett Shelter, but none were available that day. I was not leaving that place with out an animal. I had just put my 20 year old cat down, and he was my “first born”…..
Enter Aspen, a one year old Yellow Lab. I don’t know how it happened, but I left the kitty room, and ended up in front of Aspen’s cage. A worker appeared out of no-where and asked if I would like to take her outside. No way was I getting a dog, I didn’t like dogs. Anyway, we walked out the building, and Aspen was standing in front of me, and I squatted down to look at her face. As soon as I got down, she rested her chin on my leg, and looked up at me with those big brown eyes. Before I knew it, I was writing a check and promising to get her spayed.
Fast foward 8 years and Aspen is still in our home, and we call her the “Old gray mare”, she is close to 10 years old, and has alot of gray hair. I love that dog more than I ever thought I would. Now we have the “Mare” and an 18 month old puppy, and two 6 year old cats. My home is complete.
There is nothing in the world like being greeted by two doggies and two cats who couldn’t wait for me to get home and tend to them.
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Like JJ, I believe my 2-year old Golden Shepherd mix, Brandy, is a gift from my deceased Golden mix, Whiskey. Whiskey died in Feb 2006 from cancer at the age of 12, leaving a very large hole in mine and my husband’s life. In July, I found Brandy through petfinder.org. She looks a lot like Whiskey and has some of the same behaviors. Even the name she had when we found her was appropriate. Brandy brought much love and laughter into my home, tho we still miss our “Whismonster” and her sweet ways. Brandy has also given my husband and me great joy during 2.5 years of total trauma. Her playfulness is a joy to be around.
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I was in an abusive relationship and when I ended it. My little fur ball was there to greet me at the door.
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Well What better friend to have in the world when suffereing from 14 neck operations due to ongong tumor removals Thanks to my Bassett Hound Cooper and my Gran Puppy the toy Poodle named Soffie , it has been a little easier. Love these guys!!
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I have many times seen a pet who intuitively knows when their owner is needing some extra loving. I honestly believe they can sense our feelings. Just last week my son had a terrible sunburn (his own fault — he’s 26!) and my 2 year old Jack would not leave him alone. She usually ignores him, but that evening she just sat in front of him, watching him. When I would call her to me, she’d ignore me — something she never does. He finally acknowledged her and she stood, putting her head on his knees. (She’s not allowed to jump up without permission.) He petted her and she sat back down, but continued to sit in front of him for more than an hour until I finally made her go lie down in her bed.
They most definitely sense when we’re down or hurt or just need extra lovin’!
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As I write now (write now? Is that right?), Pirate, the one-eyed attack cat is purring in my lap. I saw him in the front yard in the rain in October of 2005. (Update: he just finished clawing the carpet, was admonished, then proceeded to turn over a trash can — both favorite pastimes) Still struggling emotionally over losing my job the year before, I was driving off, but stopped my car, got out, squatted down, and called for him to “come here.” He looked at me, hesitated, then scampered to me — heart beating like a rock ‘n roll drum — and into my hands.
At that point I was a goner.
He still occasionally reverts back to quasi-feral ways, but no longer bites or rips as hard (he’s now reaching for my throat…I said no…he stopped). God knows what he endured before I brought him inside. He has only one good green eye; the other is clouded over with a grayish blur. He has a notch in his ear. He has multiple battle scars under his white and gray fur. He’s about 14 pounds worth of dynamite. He’s rough at times, but we know each others’ limits. He’s mostly sweet as sugar.
Popeye came to me, under the same emotional circumstances, two months earlier, in August of 2005. He was also an outside cat, with clumps of his tuxedo black and white fur missing and holes in his head from fights. He’s a green-eyed monster, weighing close to 20 pounds, with huge claws that could easily rip out a big chunk of flesh. Fortunately, although he has his moments of aggression, I don’t get cut up and chewed on by Popeye as much as by Pirate.
After losing my beloved Dictionary (canine) and Encyclopedia (feline) — they were both smarter than me so I gave them suitable names — in 2002 and 2005, respectively, to cancer, I was not ready for anymore furballs. Thankfully, for the sake of what passes for my sanity, Popeye, then Pirate, adopted me.
I routinely discover red scratches and scabs I didn’t even know I had on my arms, stomach, and legs. So what? Pirate sometimes assaults my ankles — just for fun. So what? They knock things over while play-fighting or serious-fighting (I separate them). So what? They slash the hell out of the furniture and terrorize the carpet. So what? They are “special needs” cats and I realize not just anyone would take them (of course, that works both ways as not just anyone would take me, either!). They are full-fledged members of the family — just like human children, innocent as new-fallen snow, regardless of any aggression…but they never grow up.
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I was visiting my daughter in Atlanta several years, when I got a severe dizzy spell. Her husband was there(he works from home)and I didnt want to bother him. I just laid down on the couch, hoping the dizzy spell wouldnt last long. Her dog(a silky terrier named shadow)usually always stayed at the feet of my son-in-law sensed someone wrong with me and came downstairs and stayed on the couch next to me until my daughter got home. I always believed animals could sense when something was wrong with people and since that day I am more of a believer. But sadly sometime after that shadow got out of their fenced yard, and we never was able to find him. I just pray that someone has him and is treating him with lots of love as my daughter and her husband did. We still can’t talk about shadow.
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this is the truth,our yorkie is someone to comfort,dry up your tears,someone to be there,to quiet your fears,a companion,a pal,a very best freind,someone to trust and love til the end!
when I am feeling real down she will come and sit at my feet,or jump in the chair with me,and just look at me for hours,it brings a big smile to my face every time,and feel lots better
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Both my mother and step-father were staying with me. They were going through extremely hard times and decided they couldn’t get through life any longer and they both committed suicide. My 2 year old lab mix I got from Noah’s Bark saved my sanity and kept me from sinking too far. He was always happy to see me and made things bearable. He was always up to something and he kept my mind off of things. He is definitely one of the family now!
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My Dog - I am so saddened by your loss. Labs are the best!!! I am so happy you had your little love to get you through that extremely tough time.
I will keep you in my thoughts.
Thank goodness for our little furry friends. They are a godsend.
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My dog saved my life. I’ve fought depression all my life. The past 10 years have been the worst. They tried to help but I alienated my friends and my family. Through it all my dog was always there with me and for me. There were times I was willing to let the depression win. But I couldn’t leave my dog abandoned and alone.
Today I’m still fighting depression. It’s just that now I am winning more. I repaired my relationships. And I spoil my dog now. I will never be able to repay her. But that’s not an excuse to not try.
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My mother passed away suddenly. That evening, my cats were snuggling with me as I tried to sleep…they hardly left my side for the next several days. My sister-in-law told me later that their cats did not leave my brother’s side either. Little guardian angels helping us through a very sad occasion.
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During 2003, I went through a divorce and the loss of my children, if it wasn’t for my two Golden Retrievers, I wouldn’t have made it. One put on a show every afternoon, with a basketball, and the other one never left my side.
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My grandmother passed away suddenly and through that very difficult time my Jack Russel Terrier Scamp, and two kitties, Gypsy and Pumpkin never left my side. They slept with me each night and were always happy to see me when I got home. I don’t know what I would have done without their distracting influence. Pet’s really do know how your feeling.
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When my 21 year old son died suddenly last September I thought I was going to die too. I didnt want to get off the couch, I didnt want to go out of the house, I didnt want to see people. I was in a daze. My two basenji’s, Gus and Sheba bugged me everyday to take them for a walk. They NEVER do this, but for a few weeks, they MADE me take them for a walk. Without them I would have curled up in a ball and died. It’s their 10th birthday today, and we will celebrate with a long walk. I am so grateful that I have my dogs!
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[…] life lessons you learned from your pet. When we asked how pets help you through tough times, Champ’s Mom offered this pearl of pet […]
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A year after I graduated from college, I bought a cocker spaniel puppy and named her Sophie. Sophie was my faithful companion until she passed onto doggie heaven in 2003. During the years I had Sophie, I went through many periods of depression and was even suicidal at times. Knowing that I would be leaving Sophie if I committed suicide, I never went through with it. I know that God sent Sophie to be my guardian angel. She literally saved my life…saved me from me! I know I will see her again, until then I still feel her nearby and swear that my cats see her spirit!
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