By: Hettie Basil Lighttower
If you have enjoyed the recent story of pets and are encouraged to create stories of your own with animals, I thought it would be nice to talk about a few more benefits that pets offer us.
Have you heard of pet therapy? There are amazing cats and dogs that are very loving to all those they meet. You see, each animal has its own personality. Some are just better for therapy than others. But exactly is therapy. What does therapy mean? Therapy is a term that encompasses treatment for disease or disorders. It is anything that rehabilitates and brings back a healthy state of being.
So when considering pet therapy, the simple action of petting the soft fur and having that textile stimulation is calming to our nervous system. When our nervous system is calm it creates health in our bodies. Hobbies, certain tasks also create wellness for our emotional and physical well being. Pets can inspire us to draw or paint them, to be playful and feel joy.
I was so excited when nursing homes and long term care facilities started allowing a pet therapy day or even to have a “house pet”. The residents who have to be confined in a facility who no longer have their own pets or home really benefit from the stimulation of having access to a pet on campus. Many people in a nursing home experience depression and that takes away from their quality of life. But these pet therapy animals counteract the depression. There are many studies out there about the benefits of having the interaction with a therapy cat or dog and the elderly or oppressed.
Pets provide a “person” to talk to. Sometimes we just need to be heard and to have someone to listen to us. If you are having a bad day, your pet is willing and able to sit there and soak it all in with out judgement. And that is all we need to feel better. Just saying the words out loud to our pets promotes good mental health. The act of hearing our own words come out with our voice promotes healing when we can release thoughts we may have bottled up inside. Pets can provide like a confession booth for us. There is no booth and no human on the other side of the curtain to hear our words, but just the opportunity to express and release things on our heart is the first step to healing from the inside out.
Pets are like earth angels. Instead of feeling afraid, we can feel a sense of security and bravery with our pet by our side. This is true especially if we have a big dog like a German Shepherd or another guard dog type. But even the smallest dog can give us that sense of security. They pick up sounds or energies long before we do. They are great first responders.
Pets can provide silliness and play. They give us reason to be silly and to play. As adults, we often times forget that play and lightheartedness is very important. I have a friend who actually does workshops for corporations and groups about play. He titles it “The Importance of Play”!! And he talks to adults about finding ways to be playful. The act of playing stimulates joy and happiness. Also, when my daughter was in college, she had to opportunity to take an elective class in psychology. The class was called “Happiness”!! It is interesting that we have learn the importance of being happy and there is a need for it so much that they teach it in college! People have forgotten to take time for play and happiness. Pets can bring all that into our lives.
As I have said previously, pets save us. They do so much for us. Enjoy your pets and be playful. Do it as if your life depended on it. Your life and quality of life does depend on it.
Do you have a pet story you would like to share? It can big or small we will hear them all! Send in your notions and comments to [email protected]. I will include them in the next available column as per their arrival relative to the publication deadline of Tuesday by 12 p.m. of the same week. If you wish to be anonymous let me know. Kindness is contagious~*