Pets as emotional support

[Paislee]

Does anyone else here feel that their pets help them with coping with their disease? My pets offer me so much comfort when I'm feeling ill. I have 4 beautiful sugar gliders and two cats and even when I'm at my worst they always make me smile. I swear the cats purr is like a sedative for me, I relax so easily with them purring. My sugar gliders just make me feel happy, they also have a noise that relaxes me as well, almost like a popping/chirping sound when they sleep in the day. They have the most adorable faces and they love to be cuddled in their pouch. I love my pets and all they do for me.

 

[smallfry]

Agreed! Animals are wonderful! My black lab is very in tune to my feelings and seems to know when I need a hug. Love him!

 

[Samboi]

I have four beautiful cats that definitely help me as emotional supports.
When I got home from a long hospital stay, my little black cat Henry crawled under the doona and spent his day snoozing at my feet just to be close to me.
They also keep me company in the bathroom.
I'd be lost without my fur kids.

 

[Mark63]

I also find kitties most therapeutic. It's lovely to feel their warm furry bodies curled-up with you. They're also one of the best stress busters that I've found.

Mark

 

[lizzy16]

I was diagnosed last year while living abroad, and I've missed my pets so much! My parents have two wonderfully crazy jack russells and the elder one, Tilly, is my special girl! I miss that dog something shocking and I do think that animals help in times of stress. I've often thought I'd love to have a little kitty to keep me company but of course that's not an option as I'm not here permanently - luckily I am heading home in October! I am almost as excited about seeing those silly dogs as I am my family!

 

[kiny]

we have cats and rabbits and I play with my uncle's dog a lot

I love cats, they are very different from dogs, dogs are very loyal and dependent, cats are very playful and independent creatures. My cat often sleeps on my back, my mom always complains how I let that "disgusting thing" lay on my back, lol, I love my cat.

My favorite thing is that my cats yawns when I yawn, she copies me.

 

[KWalker]

I have a miniature schnauzer that I got when he was 8 weeks and is now 2. He's a very hyper dog and can sometimes be a handful but if I ever had a bad day out or anything, I know he's waiting when I get home to attack and lick me all over which always makes everything go away. For me I think knowing that to him, my fiancee and I are the only things that matter to him and how he's always happy, it kind of puts you in the mood that things aren't that bad and you might as well enjoy life as much as you can.

He also seems to know when one of us aren't feeling well because he goes from hyper mode to a dog that sticks by your side and just wants to cuddle all day.

 

[GutlessWonder86]

My basset hound, Bailey Grace, (she's 1 year old) has been wonderful in being there for me right now as I have 2 clots in my body, one small one in the brain and another one in the groin which has caused my entire leg-including ankle, foot, and toes, to swell up yesterday which landed me in the ER for a STAT doppler.I'm also dealing with a small abdominal wound that's infected for the umpteenth time from an abscess surgery last year. She has even licked my forehead when my migraines hit.

Bailey will lick the areas on my body that are giving me problems, sleep on my tummy during nap time to keep it warm, and we even do tickle and cuddle time where she'll lay on her back on my lap and I'll rub her belly & talk to her while she's looking right at me.

I LOVE it when her beautiful tail wags during a game of catch. I'll toss the ball and she jumps up and catches it in her mouth. She's been a real God send. I'm soooooo glad that I have her as my fur child to help me de-stress so my BP is lower. LOVE MY DOG!!

 

[Twiggy930]

We have a basset hound too! I have found in the last little while that our dog really helps reduce my son's anxiety level especially at night when he is going to sleep and having abdominal pain.

 

[GutlessWonder86]

Bassets have a very keen sense of smell. They can just tell for some reason when we are hurting. What is your basset's name?

 

[Twiggy930]

His name is Nigel.

 

[GutlessWonder86]

He is soooooo adorable. how old is Nigel??? does he howl too? my Bailey will howl if I leave to go to the doctor's.

 

[Mountaingem]

My kitteh Muffin knows when I'm sick or in pain. She isn't very affectionate but when I'm sick she walks me over to the bed and waits for me to lay down, then curls up beside me. Normally she prefers my husband except every Sunday when he gives me my weekly Methotrexate shot. She growls when he gets the meds out, and afterward she hisses and fluffs up her fur at him...she is such a wierd little cat!

 

[Twiggy930]

He only howls when he is playing with other dogs. He is 5 years old.

 

[GutlessWonder86]

such a beautiful animal. Bassets rule for sure. lol

did you buy Nigel his Xmas gifts already? I bought Bailey's. I celebrated her 1 yr. birthday this past Aug. 822 with a gift bag of a few toys, a CD to calm her when I'm not home, AND she got Frosty Paws cut up (doggie ice cream) w/a strawberry hostess cupcake cut up for her. She loved it.

I'm into spoiling her big time. Can't help it as I owe her for saving my life.

 

[Earnellzwifey]

I had a chiquaqua that I had for 5 years he was the sweetest animal I ever had. He died a few months ago and it felt like I lost one of my kids. I got a Pomeranian that was to hyper and hard to potty train so she now an outside dog but she is still loved. Now I have 2 kittens storm and shadow. They are the greatest, they are soo affectionate. They cuddle with me all day.

 

[Nytefyre]

I love my pets! I have three cats and a dog. I don't have kids, but the pets are perfect! Sometimes, I even have to punish them like they are kids,lol! But they are always there for me when I feel like poop!

 

[Susan2]

I have a miniature schnauzer that I got when he was 8 weeks and is now 2...

I have a miniature schnauzer, too. He is eleven and is the third mini that I have had. I love them because they are so independent and have strong individual personalities.

He usually sleeps in his own basket in the study, but the other morning I wasn't feeling very well and he came in and stood by my bed, so I popped him up on the bed and he curled up back-to-back with me. We both went back to sleep and I woke up a couple of hours later feeling a lot better.

I have been away and he stayed with a friend; here he is guarding her grandson's bicycle. (It was a very windy day, so his whiskers are blowing around.)

 

[ctrl z]

These are my kids. Hamilton on the pink chair, Isabelle in the outside pic, and Moosh inside with the crazy points of light.

When I'm not feeling well, they all gather around and snuggle with me.

Once, a few years ago, I woke up with a lot of pain and made my way to the bathroom. I thought I was going to pass out when I got there so I sat on the toilet and meditated to try to ease pain and lower my heart rate. I ended up falling asleep and when I woke up, all three were sitting around me.

Good kids :smile:

 

[emmaaaargh]

I've got two beautiful Shih Tzus - Muffin and Gaston. They're 3 now and they've been there for me through remission, surgery and flares and back again so I like to think they really understand me. Often, if I'm not feeling well, Muffin will sit on my chest/curled up against me and Gaston will sit on my feet Mum says they both look out of the window to watch for when I come home from school. I don't think I could cope at all without them.

 

[prplkow]

I have two cats and a pug. All three like to cuddle with me when I am not feeling well. I really think they know when we (us humans) are not feeling well.

 

[Cat-a-Tonic]

I have a cat and a dog. My cat (in my avatar picture) is 9 and she's been with me through all of my illness. Back before I got ill, I used to live close to my workplace and I'd come home every day for lunch. My cat would love spending that time with me so much that she even started following me to the bathroom. We live in a different place now but she still follows me to the bathroom often, it's become like our tradition now. She seems to know when I'm not feeling well too, on bad days she doesn't let me out of her sight and will follow me everywhere and curls up next to me in bed or on the couch and purrs and keeps an eye on me. She's the perfect IBD pet, she just gets it and quietly comforts me when I need it.

I have a dog too, and she's pretty much the opposite. She's a very smart dog (she's a corgi) but also very goofy and needs a lot of attention. I got her right around the time that I hit remission, so my dog has never seen me flare and I don't really know if she gets it that I have an illness. She's hilarious and makes me laugh often, but she's not as comforting or intuitive as my cat is - she's more of a silly and ocassionally pesty goofball. Yes, I admit it, I'm a cat person. Don't get me wrong, I love my dog, but I prefer cats. (I'm in a mixed marriage of sorts - I'm a cat person and my hubby is a dog person, ha ha.)

 

[HorseLover!!]

I have 3 dogs- 2 miniature schnauzers they 5 years old and are sister, I also have an English Springer Spaniel she's 10 years old she deffinately knows when there is something going on which is nice because she would come over and sit with me and then won't let me out of her sight, the other 2 on the other hand will come over and see what is going on and then go away again, but overall they are all really affectionate
I LOVE THEM

 

[EthanPSU]

I love my pooch. She sleeps with me everyday and def has helped. I might be moving very soon however and will be very sad not to see here much anymore :\

 

[Thermo]

I love this thing

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[GutlessWonder86]

I think it is so amazing how our pets really understand what we are going through and are there for us just at the exact moment when we need it the most....especially if there's a great deal of pain involved.

 

[Skycruiser]

Deleted.

 

[GI Jane]

I miss him.

OMG Can't ever get my pictures to come through or can I just not see them....yes I'm special...lol:sign0085:

 

[Cat-a-Tonic]

GI Jane, to use the IMG tags, you need to have your photo hosted on another site, such as photobucket, and then you paste the link to that photo in between the IMG tags.