This post is part of the Pet Writer’s Blog Carnival.
How do your pets enrich your life?
I’ve been looking for a reason to use all these cute animal pictures that I’ve come across while searching for just the right photo for today’s post. At last I’ve found it. Telling you how wonderful it is to have pets.
If you are not a pet owner, the first thing you must understand is that for those of us without human children, our pets are our kids. The second thing you will need to accept is that I’m not exaggerating. My animals are my babies… maybe not the fish, but the four-legged ones are. (Fish look pretty swimming around in the tank, but beyond their beauty, they don’t give much back.)
When I was born, we had an Irish Setter named Trouble. Dad had gotten him for Mom when they were still dating. As I remember it Trouble lived to a fine old age, but I don’t really remember much about him. He was big and I was small and although I don’t remember being afraid of him, I also don’t remember being with him. I think towards the end he had health problems and one year while we were on vacation, he just disappeared. (This was typical in my family, no one ever died, they just “disappeared.”)
Having no sense of time at that point, I can only tell you that sometime after that, we got a Siamese kitten. Being a very creative bunch, we named him “Si.” We each wanted him to be our cat, but he was really Mom’s cat. He kept her company when she was up working or studying. He would climb into her lap, generate heat (Mom was ALWAYS cold – yes even after menopause), and purr. He did have one downside – he ate linens… literally. After Si grew up, we had towels, blankets and bedspreads that had holes wherever he had chosen to eat. No vet or cat owner could ever tell us what was missing from his diet to make him eat all that cloth and he ate well for all 21 years of his life.
Cats – the Un-Dog
Cats regard people as warm blooded furniture.
— Jacqueline Mitchard
Despite the linen eating, when I got my first cat, I thought that cats were easy because all you had to do was feed them and clean the cat box. WROOONG!!! Cats can be very independent, or not. They can make you feel as if they are looking down their noses at you, or not. But worst of all, whether they treat you like the poorly paid help or follow you around the house, they are very opinionated. For some of them, this comes in the form of talking to you, lecturing really. For others, they devise nastier ways to let you know of their displeasure (I’ll let you use your imagination to figure that out).
For years, cats were my chosen companions. I’m an avid reader, as you might have figured out, and cats were perfect for curling up with on a gray or rainy day. The three of us would all curl up on the couch (I usually had two cats) and read/nap the afternoon away. Talk about stress relief!
Loyal, Faithful and True
If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you. This is the principal difference between a dog and a man.
— Mark Twain
As I headed towards 50, I began to think about getting a dog. My major interest in a dog came from the fact that I did not willingly go out every day and walk. If I didn’t do something to change this, I would soon be the size of a barge. I figured that since I am a responsible person, getting a dog would force me to get moving. I was right… and there were lots more benefits.
In a recent post, I talked about the power of hanging with the right crowd. Think of dogs as an irreplaceable part of the right crowd. Think of it, a friend who always thinks what you say is brilliant, a friend who encourages you to exercise (walk) without nagging you. Wouldn’t you want a friend who is always on your side? Loyal? Supportive? Instinctively understands what you want to do? If this were a human friend, you wouldn’t hesitate to keep them close. (Ok, these friends do shed a bit… and they don’t clean up after themselves…)
The Unexpected Benefits
In reality, I know that an animal adds chaos to an already chaotic house full of people. And makes traveling more expensive and challenging. If you are taking the dog or cat with you, you need to find animal-friendly lodging. If you don’t take them with you, you have to find a good place to board them. But compared to the benefits, these are a small price to pay.
When I got a dog, I met my neighbors. Now, some might question whether meeting the neighbors is actually a benefit, but let’s just say that on balance, it is. While I worked in corporate America, I commuted long distances and worked long days. I often left before it was really light and came home after dark. (Another reason that cats were a good choice, they do fine with or without you.) At that point I was way too tired to care about socializing with the neighbors and weekends were spent with other friends.
When I got a dog and started walking her, I met all kinds of people. No doubt they had been out walking all along, but now I was out there also. More than that, the dog gave us something to bond over. “Is she friendly?” “She’s so cute.” And more comments to that effect. I got to know people that I’d never met before. Some became friends, some didn’t.
Animals can also reduce the time that house guests choose to stay. I used to have house guests for about 5 weeks/year. Now they may visit, but they choose to stay elsewhere. Adding 5-7 people into my house which is great for 1 or 2, really didn’t work all that well. To avoid the chaos of the cats and dog, they find an alternative solution. The boundaries that I was never able to successfully set, my pets have managed to set and maintain for me.
I’ve also learned more about psychology. Some of you may protest this thought (please put it in a comment) but dog training and training people are not that far apart. Establishing who is in charge is important in both situations. Liberal use of praise for desired behavior works wonders on both people and dogs. Quickly correcting incorrect behavior leads to happier, more productive habits. You might say that everything I know about dealing with people I learned from the Dog Whisperer.
So, that’s my story and I’m sticking to it. Animals make me physically and mentally healthier. They brighten my day. They seldom talk back and they almost always make me feel loved and appreciated. What more could you ask for?
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