This is a slightly self-serving post. Today is the fifth anniversary of the death of my sweet dog Cleo and I really wanted to post a picture of her. But it’s still a relevant topic. 🙂
Research indicates that having pets can reduce your blood pressure and lower your levels of triglyceride and cholesterol. And, of course, reduce feelings of isolation and loneliness.
I haven’t found much about the influence pets have on pain. We haven’t had any pets for five years, but I know that Cleo was a huge comfort to me. At the time, we thought that my allergy to her was the cause of my headaches, so my pain certainly didn’t feel like it was under control. But it was easier to cope with everything when she was there.
Interestingly, my pain began waking me in the night a few months after she died. Is it coincidence or could there be a connection? There was so much going on then that I can’t know if this was a factor or not. I do know that giving her tummy loves always made me smile.
What do you all think? Have your pets helped reduce your pain levels or let you manage it better?
Oh, absolutely!
One of my cats in particular is VERY instinctual when it comes to my migraines. She’s a hyper little kitty so at first, I thought she’d annoy me if I let her in my room during an attack. But once, she slipped in somehow. My husband almsot kicked her out, but she just jumped on the bed and curled up right against me. Just knowing she was there was very soothing.
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That’s so sweet. It makes me want to scritch you hyper/loving kitty behind the ears.
K
my chronic migraine started while i was in college, and my bird died then too (i still miss him!) so i never really got to see if there was a correlation. but since i’ve been stuck at home i have been begging my mom to at least see if there are any pets we can babysit…
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Maybe you can spin it as helping animals in need — like fostering a litter of kittens from the humane society. That would be soooo much fun!
K
Therapeutic? Without a doubt! And I must say, you should get another! I just lost my German Shepherd in May after 12 faithful years of companionship. We also have an American Bulldog. This dog actually knows when I have a storm coming; he will whine, lay next to me, try to get in my bed (he’s too big and not allowed), or get my husband’s attention if he’s in another room by barking and pawing at him. Dogs are truly amazing! The cats we have are snugglers, too.
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We got another dog last spring, but were both very allergic to him. We had him for a week and had to give him back to his original family. Visting our friends’ dogs isn’t even close to the experience of having your own, but I at least get frequent ear-scritching sessions.
Your bulldog sounds amazing. What a wonderful companion.
K
My two cats have absolutely helped me manage my pain better. They are very intuitive – they seem to know when I’m having a flare or even just feeling funkier than normal on any given day, and they tend to sick very close to me at those times. On days when I’ve been stuck home in bed, I’ll often wake to find one of them cuddled into my one side and the other on the other side. I have frequent bouts of insomnia, and they always hang out with me then, too. Often, having one or both of them curled up next to me, purring, while I pet them is enough to relax me and get me drowsy enough to finally sleep.
The girl kitty also gives backrubs. 🙂
Seriously, though, I suppose I could be projecting or something, but I truly believe having pets is therapeutic. They’re awesome companions, and getting that unconditional love and affection does a heart and body good!
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I’m glad you get so much comfort from your kitties. I absolutely agree that they do a body and heart good!
I read about Bruiser today. I’m sorry that he’s gone. Cleo was a puppy mill dog that we rescued. She lived with us less than three years, but she sure fell into a pot of honey for those years. It sounds like you were able to give Bruiser a little comfort, even for a short time.
K