Pets help our happiness in the love they bring to us, the comfort and companionship. They can ease loneliness, reduce stress, encourage exercise and studies now show they may even help you live longer. Pet therapy is becoming popular now to help treat the sick. Most notably becuase;
Pet owners are less likely to suffer from depression.
People with pets have lower blood pressure in stressful situations.
Playing with a pet can elevate levels of serotonin and dopamine, which calm and relax.
Heart attack patients with pets survive longer than those without.
Pet owners over age 65 make 30% fewer visits to their doctor.
So todays task is to pat a pet. But what if you don’t have one? Offer to walk a neighbours dog, visit a friend who has a pet or simply take a walk in the park and wait for a happy dog walker to approach, most dogs are friendly and always up for a pat and a play.
Studies seem to show more health benefits with dogs than cats probably due to the fact that a cat couldn’t care less about your health, as long as you feed her, let her out and let her sit on your knee, bed, book, coat, desk, sofa and whenever else she wants! My family has had dogs and cats for as long as I can remember and the love, affection and company they have provided over the years for anyone who has stayed at the house has been immeasurable. I have always admired the unconditional love you get from a dog, partly due to having less brain cells as cats will testify! But what dogs lack in brains they make up for in heart (and appetite if they are Labradors)! I love both cats and dogs and animals in general but have noted that cats only tolerate us whereas dogs worship us.
The dog makes me feel safe when I am sleeping alone in the house
He immediately cleans up any food I may have spilled on the floor
The cat keeps me warm when she’s curled up on my bed
She also keeps the mice population down in the garden shed
The dog makes me exercise, even on the coldest days when he needs his walk
When I am sick or sad they seem to know and come and curl up bedside me
They have replaced the alarm clock as my morning wake up call
They think it’s ok to go to sleep in the afternoon, in fact they encourage it
They listen to me, even when I say the craziest things, and they never argue
When I come home from shopping they greet me as if I’ve returned from a six month expedition across the desert.
So whether its your own or someone elses pat a pet today
