Pet Forum

Heavy Petting Required

We all love animals. We know that they enrich our lives, provide companionship, and offer love and affection. They ask for so little and yet give so much back. They can make a gray day sunny and make heartaches disappear with a careful touch or nudge or kiss. They are our constant companions, privy to our every mood, feeling, and yes!!! thought. They snuggle close to us to warm us and when they need warmth. They can turn the most hard-hearted individual into a quivering mass of jelly.

Recent medical studies have shown that animals are instrumental in combatting the most serious disease facing seniors today- loneliness. People do die of broken hearts. A pet may be the only thing that they can cuddle and talk to, providing them with the much needed intimacy that is so integral to human existence.

Pets don't care if we are skinny or fat. They don't care whether we are attractive or not. They don't care if we have two legs or one or are in a wheelchair. They don't care if we have bad breath, sing off key, or can't color coordinate our clothes.

Pets lower your blood pressure, promote health, and prolong life. The daily interaction with pets causes us to adhere to a schedule, exercise more than we might otherwise, and accept responsibility for the nurturing and well-being of the pet. They motivate us when we don't feel motivated.

Pets provide a sense of security and protection. No matter how small the pet, just another presence in your home increases your feeling of security. Animals alert us to sounds we might otherwise not be aware of, and we all know that they are much more sensitive to smells than we are- just think of the many animals who have woken their owners and saved them from burning homes. Small dogs are very effective at deterring unwanted visitors because of their persistent barking.

Pets improve your self-image, justify and even enhance your self-concept that you are a worthwhile individual, just by loving you in return. They improve socialization by providing a topic of conversation with others. They attract people and open the lines of communication with individuals that you otherwise might not have an opportunity to meet.

Although most pets are of the four legged variety, for those of us who can not keep a dog or cat, birds and fish are also wonderful companions. A recent article has touted fish as "aquatic therapists". "According to the White House Congress on Aging, fish have a positive emotional and physical effect on many people and have been shown to lower blood pressure and stress levels. Most importantly, they provide a sense of companionship." Birds are even more interactive than fish and therefore provide an even greater level of companionship.

Choosing the right pet for you is the first step in becoming a pet owner. Many veterinarians are happy to provide advice, as are senior's groups and Humane Societies.

Senior residences and nursing homes have recognized the benefits of pet interaction and many have several cats, and in some instance, dogs, in residence. Others have made arrangements with animal shelters and private individuals to have pets visit the residents on a daily basis. The seniors have shown marked improvement- both emotionally and physically- by indulging in a little "heavy petting" with their four legged friends.

This article is dedicated to Tomas the cat. Thank you for the time we had together. One year later, Phil and I still miss you dearly.

Button and Beau's Cat Humour Presented by Waldorf Sally

Owner's Guide For Cats

Cats are beautiful, sophisticated, intelligent creatures. And with a little love and caring, they can keep a human being alive for upwards of seventy to eighty years. If you follow these simple instructions, you can have your human housetrained in no time.

CLEANLINESS: For some reasons, humans seem to enjoy immersing themselves in running water. Attempts to get humans to lick themselves clean have proven interesting, if unproductive.

COMMUNICATION: Humans are unable to speak a proper language. Therefore, you should communicate a point loudly, repeatedly, and if at all possible, at about three in the morning. Any attempts at human-to-cat communication can be dealt with by simply ignoring it until it stops.

FEEDING: Morning feeding should start promptly when your human is fast asleep, preferably three or four minutes before the alarm is supposed to go off. Recommended methods of waking your human include: sitting on its face, screaming in its ear, and biting its hair.

MATING: Human mating behavior is fascinating. Unfortunately, humans tend to get easily spooked by prolonged study of courtship rituals, and resort to shoe-throwing behavior.

TOILET TRAINING: A human's natural tendency is to not change your litter box. Although experts in human behavior believe it can be attributed to the "laziness reflex," this can be easily corrected through what is called "shoe therapy." Just remember that a human shoe looks a lot like a human toilet, and you should be fine.

Following these simple tips is the first step towards a long and productive cat/human relationship.

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