How do your pets help you?

[Noughts]

Well... I thought my cat was therapeutic, so I put it here. Forgive me if I put it in the wrong place...

Post your stories! Tell us how them li'l furballs have helped you.

My six-month year old kitten offers me something that I feel no other human (...Kia... wasn't... I don't want to believe it, but... he's real to me, at least!) has ever offered me before: attention and love, regardless of my success. If I got an A+? Purr, purr, cuddle, lick, collapse next to chest, snuggle, purr purr. If I got a B-? Purr, purr, cuddle, lick, collapse next to chest, snuggle, purr purr.

I still have trouble interacting with humans when it's "not practical/necessary/useful" (I'm fine with talking to teachers, but if I have to go to a party, NO), but after getting him in June (the ninth), I've started... not minding real life social interactions so much. It's because he's teaching me how to physically interact and have fun with others. He's always getting me to play with him. How? Well, he doesn't meow, mew, anything like that. When he "talks," he makes a squeaky toy sound. He doesn't have laryngitis; he can mew if he wants to. (Take him to the vet...) So yeah, he squeaks. He waits anywhere, anywhere, and squeaks. He knows I come running. And that's when I start chasing him throughout the house. He does the same outside, too... While I'm working on classwork inside, he squeaks (he's outside). I hear him, go to the glass door. He just sits their patiently, waiting. When I get it open all the way, he runs into the plants and starts squeaking again. He's a playful little guy, really.

He's also helped me fulfill a dream of mine... For those of you who've read my (outrageously long) introductory post, you've read about how much I wanted to be like Kia... You know. Compassionate, supportive, a provider, loving, gentle. Ever since I... "lost him"... Well.... Well, now I get a friend again! And I get to be a friend. Kia would be proud of me, I'm sure! He makes me feel like I'm worth something, even if I'm not very successful (in my POV), albeit in a different way. (How weird it would be to baby someone like Kia! And he doesn't make me share my cheese by squeaking and pawing my pants.)

I've started smiling more. Laughing more... I've been getting more exercise! (It's as if that kitten is hooked on something. )

Though I admit, I've been getting a little behind in my classwork... He likes playing with me too much.

Oh, and I don't hate dogs. If my house were bigger and I could afford it, I'd have Rasui grow up with a Spaniel (don't know which one...). That way he'd stop bugging me when I'm working. :laughs:

 

[Into The Light]

pets are wonderful. they provide unconditional love i am glad you have your kitten!

 

[sister-ray]

Pets are the best they never let you down, never break your trust, never lie to you, always love you whatever, never judge you, always happy to see you, I could go on, mine keep me going and give me a reason to live even when I feel theres no point to it all, I think I would have given up long ago without them, they are so precious

 

[Lana]

I have 3 animals at my house: 2 cats and one dog. Each one is sooo different. My husband and I got the oldest (Felix) before we were married. Then, we were married and were expecting a child. I wanted to have a fully trained dog by the time we had the baby, and so we got Drake, our German Shepherd. The baby didn't work out, so Drake was the baby.

Two summers ago I was walking my dog in the park and I heard meowing. I looked over and saw a little puff of fur, white with grey spots. Someone, apparently, tossed the kitten out, but in between two fences. She was so tiny, she could barely hold her head up, and she could hardly see. I thought maybe owners would come back for her and kept walking. But you know....in the back of my head I was formulating a plan.

It was a very hot day, and when I went back to the fence an hour or so later, the kitten was wobbly, barely sitting up. I was panicking. I ran home, got some soft cat food and tried to feed it through the chain linked fence (wooden one was behind her, she was literally in between two) but she couldn't even eat. She didn't know how.

So, I waited for my husband and then told him about her, and asked him to get her. We went over, he hopped the fence reached down, and the little puff of fur jumped like a frog! :lol: My husbands instanteneous comment was "Holy s*#&!" After I finished laughing, I told him to just grab her, she was way too tiny to do any damage. And so he did.

For about 2 weeks we kept saying that we'd give her to humaine society, look for signs for missing kittens, not get attached...blah blah blah. All the while my husband went to the vet to find out how to feed her, bought her nipples and forumula, fed her, wiped her bum, checked the litter for "goodies" (she hasn't gone for 2 days), and was reading up everything he could on the net about kittens.

The kitten (named Storm) was very playful and sooooo cute...she could melt an iceberg with her cuteness. She'd sleep in weirdest positions, wherever she fell. And then, on the third day, I woke up to a smiling husband standing all excited by the bed.

Looking at him suspiciously, I said, "Good morning"
He says, "our kitten did a poo in the litter box!", eyes amost popping out of his head from excitement.
"Umm...that's nice, dear", I said, wondering if he'd lost his mind.
"It's so cute!" he exclaimed.
I thought he was going to burst and said, "I'm sure it is"
"Did you want to see it?!" he said, almost bouncing from joy.
I broke into a laugh, "No dear, I'll just take your word for it"

Anyways...it's been pretty much that way since. She loves to sleep on my desk pressed against my chest and usually presses her face into some crevice and purrs away. It was cute when she was small....but now, 2 years later, she's not so small. So, now, she just turns over on her back while I pet and smooch her belly. She has a big grey spot there, like a bullseye, as she purrs away.

She's still adorable as ever and has brought so much joy into our lives and the lives of my older animals. She'd crawl into crate with a 90lb dog, she sleeps in the same bed with the older cat (though she has her own), she hugs dogs tail when he's being fed (tries to bite it but gets a mouthfull of fur), and she lounges around on her back in the middle of the room. Adorable!! Here are a couple of pics.

 

[David Baxter PhD]

Looking at him suspiciously, I said, "Good morning"
He says, "our kitten did a poo in the litter box!", eyes amost popping out of his head from excitement.
"Umm...that's nice, dear", I said, wondering if he'd lost his mind.
"It's so cute!" he exclaimed.
I thought he was going to burst and said, "I'm sure it is"
"Did you want to see it?!" he said, almost bouncing from joy.
I broke into a laugh, "No dear, I'll just take your word for it"

Now THAT is comedy!

 

[Banned]

I have two dogs who are one and three years old, and intense, fond memories of my ten year old dog who died last year. I'm pretty sure I'd be completely lost without them - Jessie, my dog who died last year, got me through some major depressions and gave me a reason to keep going when I couldnt' find one.

Brody and Jonah teach me new things every day. Jonah is goofy and always makes me laugh. Brody is so serious all the time. She doesn't make me laugh but she really makes me think. They are so unique and so special...especially being a single person it's nice to have the company. I bring them to work with me every day so we have lots of time to play and enjoy each other.

Jonah is going for hip surgery next month. I'm sad that he has to go through that but excited that once he's healed he'll be pain-free and able to run and play like a normal dog (and not like the gimp that he is!).

 

[Into The Light]

that's a really nice story lana

good luck with the surgery turtle! :crossfingers:

 

[Daniel E.]

How do your pets help you?

Apparently, my stubborn calico cat provides me with good luck

Cats of this coloration are believed to bring good luck in the folklore of many cultures; in the United States these are sometimes referred to as money cats.

Tortoiseshell cat - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Eye Stigmata]

I have a dog and two cats...
My dog Wilson is the craziest thing on 4 legs....he cracks me up all the time!!
He has such a strong character...it's hilarious!! I do lots of things with him, I'm lucky I can bring him to work with me!! But he also enjoys day care! He sleeps on my bed with me every night...I get night terrors alot, and he seems to be able to sense my stress, he always rests his head near myn when im upset.
My 2 cats are polar opposites... muffin is so independent, she is the queen of the jungle...likes to be left alone, but it's all on her terms, she will come sit on your lap when it best suites her.... arnold is...well I dont think he's full cat. hahaha I think he thinks he is a person. He will literally eat ANYTHING in sight. I left a loaf of bread on the couter (like the french bread for dipping) and he ate almost half the loaf in one sitting...oops, so we keep everything VERY stored away!!! He will also fetch things!....so maybe he's part human and part dog!

I love my animals...they truly are amazing! Oh and I also have fish, heckles and jeckles (from the little mermaid)....They don't do much, but they sure are beautiful to watch at night as im falling asleep...they bring a sense of peace.

 

[Meg]

Great story, Lana

I have a pet rabbit. When I first brought her home she wouldn't let me touch her. If I made the mistake of trying to pick her up she went absolutely off the charts and I always had scratches up my arms. I could feed her and watch her and that was about it. However, I decided on a strategy, stuck with it, and a few months later she is the most affectionate little creature I've known! She gets really excited when she sees me coming and tries to jump over her little fence to get to me, when I get in the enclosure with her she jumps all over me and licks me (which is kind of icky, but I let her because apparently it's the greatest honour you can be paid by a rabbit!), and when I pick her up she just lies there and lets me stroke her. It's wonderful to be loved by a little creature whose trust was so hard to win.