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Pet Therapy
Oct. 14th, 2007 11:38 pmNot going to take too long to post this entry since I have to be up in about 4.5 hours for work....
I was trying to figure out how having a furry companion (aka Lani) was therapeutic, and I came across this article on the subject. In a nutshell, pets are therapeutic because pets:
(1) can improve your mood;
(2) control blood pressure better than drugs;
(3) encourage you to get out and exercise;
(4) can help with social support;
(5) stave off loneliness and provide unconditional love; and
(6) can reduce stress--sometimes more than people.
And my responses:
(1) I agree. Lani does get a little annoying when she wants to keep playing when I have to go to sleep or need to get ready for work, but otherwise I have fun watching her chase the little green dot or attack an old shoelace.
(2) Never been on drugs to control my blood pressure, but when Lani gets especially snuggly and wants to label me by rubbing her cheekruffs against me, and I can hear or feel her purring, I relax as well. And I agree with Jane Pauley that you can't look at a sleeping cat and be tense.
(3) Well, not in Lani's case, but that's only because I have a cat not a dog...
(4) I carry a pic of Lani around in my wallet. Since I'm not married and don't have any kids, Lani's the closest thing to my own family (not counting my brother or sister). And I kinda got the idea from an old "Let's Make A Deal" instant deal that Monty Hall used to do at the end of the show. I don't know how many times he would give anywhere from $20 to $50 for people that would have a picture of a pet in their wallet...
(5) Yes, definitely. Anyone who thinks cats can't provide love has never had a cat rub up against them, purring contentedly and graciously accepting scritches. And this is AFTER the feline has been fed.
(6) See my response to #2. Cats are the ultimate masters of relaxation, and even watching them makes it easy for that zen to transfer to you.
Got more stuff to post but I'm gonna save that for later.....
I was trying to figure out how having a furry companion (aka Lani) was therapeutic, and I came across this article on the subject. In a nutshell, pets are therapeutic because pets:
(1) can improve your mood;
(2) control blood pressure better than drugs;
(3) encourage you to get out and exercise;
(4) can help with social support;
(5) stave off loneliness and provide unconditional love; and
(6) can reduce stress--sometimes more than people.
And my responses:
(1) I agree. Lani does get a little annoying when she wants to keep playing when I have to go to sleep or need to get ready for work, but otherwise I have fun watching her chase the little green dot or attack an old shoelace.
(2) Never been on drugs to control my blood pressure, but when Lani gets especially snuggly and wants to label me by rubbing her cheekruffs against me, and I can hear or feel her purring, I relax as well. And I agree with Jane Pauley that you can't look at a sleeping cat and be tense.
(3) Well, not in Lani's case, but that's only because I have a cat not a dog...
(4) I carry a pic of Lani around in my wallet. Since I'm not married and don't have any kids, Lani's the closest thing to my own family (not counting my brother or sister). And I kinda got the idea from an old "Let's Make A Deal" instant deal that Monty Hall used to do at the end of the show. I don't know how many times he would give anywhere from $20 to $50 for people that would have a picture of a pet in their wallet...
(5) Yes, definitely. Anyone who thinks cats can't provide love has never had a cat rub up against them, purring contentedly and graciously accepting scritches. And this is AFTER the feline has been fed.
(6) See my response to #2. Cats are the ultimate masters of relaxation, and even watching them makes it easy for that zen to transfer to you.
Got more stuff to post but I'm gonna save that for later.....
