*Originally posted on my former blog (2008)
Do you have any pets at home? Did
you have pets growing up? If you did, that pet was most likely a significant
part of your life. I grew up with pets in my family. We had cats, dogs, birds,
and hamsters (not all at the same time LOL). Now that I have a family of my
own, pets are still an important part of that family. At our house we happen to
have more pets than the average family. That is because both my husband and I
are real animal lovers. We have two small dogs, a cat, two parrots, and a pair
of guinea pigs. That makes 7 pets for us….we are outnumbered!!
We adore our pets! They add so much
to our family and to our lives in general I couldn’t imagine not having them.
Many of the pets I’ve had in my life have played a crucial role in my healing.
The first pet that I ever got “on my own” was a Maltese. I found him at a
petstore. He was much too old to still be there. He was 7 or 8 months old. He
and I hit it off right away. The petstore wanted next to nothing for him, and I
took him home. When I got his papers, I found that he had been shuffled to many
petstores in his first months of life. Poor thing. Why had no one wanted him?
He was a doll! He was affectionate, well mannered, silly and playful,
protective, and close by my side always.
So, I took him home. Home was a
brand new apartment. I had just moved out of my parent’s house. I had also just
left a 5 year abusive relationship with someone who was still stalking me. I
had entered therapy a few months previously. That dog needed me, and I needed
him. He gave me strength as I cared for him successfully. Caring for him and
training him gave me a sense of importance. It lifted my self esteem.
Emotionally I felt more safe. Those of you that live alone probably know how
scary it can sometimes be when you enter your home or apartment in the dark.
Well, I could always take comfort when my dog greeted me with his usual
enthusiasm because had there been someone in the apartment I knew he’d act
differently. That enthusiastic greeting helped in more ways, too. Words cannot
express how good it used to feel when I would come home from work or class and
have my dog greet me at the door as if I had been gone for months and he was so
happy to see me he could hardly stand it. It made me feel good, welcomed,
loved, appreciated. He was a companion. He was a confidant. He slept with me in
my bed at night. He comforted me, and those of you with pets know that somehow
they just seem to know when we need a little TLC.
That dog was with me through my
first years of therapy. He was with me when I got married (not literally LOL),
He was with me as I became a mother to 1,2,3,4 children…..In January 2007 he
passed away. He was 16 years old. He is still with me in someway I know.
Animals can help us psychologically
and emotionally. They can help us with adjustments during times of stress and
grief. Research supports that grieving adults who had a pet for comfort and
support had less depression. In fact, petting a cat has actually been found to
boost mood-regulating neuro-transmitters such as dopamine and serotonin
(Copley, 2008). For those who have tendencies to feel suicidal, it is worth
noting that having a pet often helps a person feel needed. It gives them a
reason to live. This was true for me. I could not kill myself. What would happen
to my dogs??? Who would care for them??? They loved me. How would if effect
them?? I can’t leave them. They need me.
Having a pet can lower our anxiety
levels and enhance feelings of safety. They are our companions. Often their
very presence is calming. They offer a distraction of our thoughts away from
distressing thoughts or events. One does not even actually have to touch an
animal to reap the relaxation benefits. Watching fish in a tank or birds in the
air and in trees can be very calming.
Animals help beat loneliness by
providing companionship. We can talk with them, play with them, and confide in
them. They will keep our secrets, and they will often love us unconditionally.
If you have a dog, you may experience increased socialization as an added benefit.
When I got my dog I noticed it. When I would go out and walk my dog, I would
meet other people who were out in my area walking their dog. I met new friends.
Funny thing- I often knew the dog’s name better than the owner’s name, but
still, we were friends. There have been numerous studies done in nursing
homes that show that residents are more likely to “smile, talk, reach out to
people and objects, be attentive and alert, and experience a greater sense of
well-being and less depression if animals are present in the facility. (Nash)”
Dr. Samuel Ross (Executive Director:
Green Chimneys Children Services in Brewster, NY 1990) said that “for many
children whose nurturing has been faulty, taking care of an animal can
interrupt the cycle of abuse repeating itself over generations. They can learn
to be care-givers, even if they haven’t been well cared for themselves. (
Goleman, 1990).” When children with severe emotional disorders have access to
animals in their home or therapeutic setting their self esteem improves, they
develop empathy, and show increased social skills through sharing and
communication.
Animals provide us with physical
contact. As humans we need that physical contact. For some people it is more
comfortable to get that physical contact from an animal than another person.
People who have been traumatized such that they don’t trust contact from other
people sometimes will accept that contact from a pet. Children and adults with
Autism and Asperger’s also tend to show a preference for touch and closeness by
animals over other people. Animals can meet those contact comfort needs that
individuals have.
Other than psychologically speaking,
pets can be good for our physical health as well. Studies have shown that if a
cat is brought into the family prior to the birth of a child that it reduces
the risks that child has of becoming allergic to animals and reduces the risk
of asthma (Copley, 2008). Copley also sites one study that found that children
who had a cat in their home were 13-18% less likely to miss school due to
illness. Petting a cat reduces blood pressure and lowers risk factors
associated with cardiovascular disease. Studies in Germany and China found that
pet owners required fewer hospitalizations by 15-20% (Copley, 2008). If
you own a dog, you reap the benefits of regular exercise.
A word of caution, some people can
take a good thing too far and find themselves with more pets than they can
manage. Often these people do so out of love, and don’t realize how
overpopulated they have become. They become a hoarder of animals. Many suffer
attachment difficulties. They become easily attached to animals and have a hard
time letting go. Some are living a delusion and believe they really can save
50+ cats in their home. They really genuinely believe they are helping the
animals, but no one can care for so many cats all alone. These people quickly
become overwhelmed and often have a difficult time parting with some of them
fearing they will be euthanized. Those with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder could
also have a problem with this. It’s important to note that when one has too
much of a “good thing” it often backfires, and those animals that provided such
relaxation, now in multitudes, are a source of increased stress and demands.
Those animals who were such a benefit to our physical health, now in numbers,
are unsanitary and damaging to our health.
Each pet that I have had in my life
has been a blessing. Each pet has helped me in more ways than I could
ever describe. Studies show that animals have a positive effect on our health
psychologically, emotionally, socially, and physically. You do not need to own
a pet to get these benefits. You can look around you outside. You can visit
someone with a pet. You can go to the zoo or a petstore. Our furry, feathered
friends are some of the best friends we have.
References and Other Reading
Material
Allen, KM; Blascovich, J; Tomaka, J;
Kelsey, RM. “Presence of human friends and pet dogs as moderators of autonomic
responses to stress in women”. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.
1991; Oct:61(4):582-589.
Anderson, WP; Reid, CM; Jennings,
GL. “Pet ownership and risk factors for cardiovascular disease”. Medical
Journal Australia. 1992; 157:298-301.
Anthrozoology.org. (2006). “Pet
Ownership and Children’s Immune Function.”
Barker, SB; Dawson, KS. “The effects
of animal-assisted therapy on anxiety ratings of hospitalized psychiatric
patients”. Psychiatric Services. 1998; 49(6):797-801.
Beck, A; Katcher, A. “Between Pets
and People”. Purdue University Press. West Lafayette, IN; 1996.
Copley, Jennifer. (Sept. 15, 2008).
“The Health Benefits of Owning a Cat” Suite101.com
Fick, KM. “The influence of an
animal on social interactions of nursing home residents in group settings”. American
Journal of Occupational Therapy. 1993; Jun: 47(6):529-534.
Johns Hopkins Health Alerts. (July
25, 2007). “The Many Benefits of Pets.” Johns Hopkins Medicine online –
Depression and Anxiety.
KnowYourCat.info. (2008). “Why Get a
Cat?”
Kongable, LG; Buckwalter, KC;
Stolley, JM. “The effects of pet therapy on the social behavior of
institutionalized Alzheimer’s clients”. Archives of Psychiatric Nursing.
1989; Aug: 3(4):191-198.
Lamb, L; Dziegielewski, S; Leon, A.
“Pet-human bonding: Results of a survey on health and well-being.” The
Social Work Student. 1998; 1: at
http://www.uclan.ac.uk/facs/health/socwork/swonweb/journal/issue1/pethum.htm.
McClatchy Newspapers. (Feb. 27,
2008). “Study Finds Health Benefits to Owning Cats.” DallasNews.com.
McElroy, SC. Animals as Teachers
and Healers. Balantine Books. New York, NY; 1997.
Nash, Holly DMV,MS. “Psychological,
Emotional, and Social Benefits of Animals.” PetEducation.com
NYTimes. Coleman, Daniel. (Jan. 11,
1990) “Children and Their Pets: Unexpected Psychological Benefits”
Raina, P; Waltner-Toews, D; Bonnett,
B; Woodward, D; Abernathy, T. “Influence of companion animals on the physical
and psychological health of older people; an analysis of a one-year
longitudinal study”. Journal of the American Geriatric Society. 1999;
Mar: 47(3):323-329.
Serpell, J. In the Company of
Animals. Basil Blackwell Inc. New York, NY; 1986.
The Sydney Morning Herald. (Feb. 16,
2006). “Doctors See Fewer Pet Owners.” SMH.com.au.
Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia.
http://en.wikipedia.org “Animal Hoarding”
Copyright©
2010 by Lothlorien – All Rights Reserved
Thank you for sharing this post with Blog Carnival Against Child Abuse. It is nice to meet you.
Posted by: Patricia - Spiritual Journey Of A Lightworker | 05/23/2011 at 06:03 PM
What a great article...and references, too! I especially liked how you shared about your own experience with your first dog you had on your own. I think the fact that I have a twin sister and we had an amazing, loving cat as a pet helped me survive my abusive childhood. Man, I still miss that cat! He lived to be over 18 years old and he was one-in-a-million! Now we have dogs, and they're pretty cool, too. Thanks for joining us for the blog carnival.
Posted by: marj aka thriver | 06/10/2011 at 06:37 PM
The dog and the bird are my acrual pets. ;) Lady and Rosie. The guinea pigs belonged to my two youngest children, but they have passed on. Their names were Snowball and Patch. I'm sure you can tell which is which. :) we also have another dog, another parrot, and a cat all not pictured. We love animals. :)
Posted by: Lothlorien | 06/10/2011 at 08:26 PM
Lothlorien,
This is a lovely article. I agree with you, my animals help me feel safer and really do know when I am struggling. My cats and dog bring such joy in my life.
Posted by: Vicki | 06/12/2011 at 10:27 PM