Healing through Pets

Here are the ten top reasons for having a pet:

1. Unconditional Love. They don’t expect anything, except of course that you will love them back. I have always been “a cat person”. This is not to suggest that I do not like dogs, but I love cats’ self-esteem – they will come to you when they are ready. Contrary to some opinions, cats do reciprocate love. If it was just about the food, well firstly, I get taken back when that is suggested – we need to eat, don’t we? And we certainly have more daily variety than Dine and
Whiskettes, water, with occasional treats. It’s like saying “my son/daughter just loves me because I feed them!!”.

No, it doesn’t explain
- Why she has to sleep on the end of the bed
- How she reciprocates love that I give patting her beautiful soft fur by licking my fingers
- How she comes running when I come home
- Her loyalty – she always comes home

They just want you to pet them, and yes (perhaps oddly I believe, talk to them) – tell them they are loved, show they are loved by treats, physical affection and verbally loving comments. And it’s a pleasure for me to touch her soft fur.

2. You can’t really be lonely when you have a pet. Suzie has a range of meows and purrs, she has demonstrated uncannily she knows what I am saying. If I refer to her as ‘she’ say on the phone to my mother, her ears prick up.

3. It’s taught me how to love better. When Suzie is not there when I come home, I get a little anxious. If it’s nightfall, and especially no sign of her, I panic. I don’t know what I would do without my baby. It's also taught me to look after something smaller than myself, a little dependent beautiful girl, Suzie.

4. They teach you priorities. When I have spent too much time on my computer, whether it be writing, studying or facebook, Suzie will usurp the computer, sitting on top of it. In other words: Hey I’ve been outside playing – now it’s quality time for us.

5. They bring you together with other people and their pets, exchanging stories: talking about what their pets love to do.

6. You can get a real buzz out of buying trendy gear for your pet. Suzie has a collar with bling – a sparkly Meow

7. Their purr – I guess a dog’s equivalent would be licking. It’s an I’m happy – life just makes me happy because of the sun, I can watch the rain, and cuddle up inside when its storming. They teach you that the equivalent of a human purr, a smile, shouldn’t take much

8. They are so playful and have an exuberance of life – the wild chase for that lizard, the jump onto the roof, the eyeing off of the dog – the competition for the next door cat. They are fascinated by the smallest things.

9. You learn each pet has an individual personality that you grow to love, and as they get older, they grow to love you. And our love for each other has become stronger over time

10. They teach you about the purest kind of love, - feed me, love me, and I’ll always be yours and I'll be hers.



#_pets
#_unconditional_love
#_priorities
#_loyalty
#_caring
#_simplicity
#_giving_love
#_important_life_lessons
#_responsibility

%selfavenue