Pets, Fuzzy Love That Heals

Photo by: lily rosen

Raise your hand if your heart doesn’t melt at this picture. Okay, your excused, this post isn’t for you. Pets are living, feeling, loving creatures and have to receive love in return. If you don’t like animals, this isn’t going to work for you.

One of the big problems with disability is not being able to do those things we enjoyed before. To keep from feeling sorry for ourselves, making everything worse, we have to find new things to enjoy. The health benefits of having pets are measurable: How Owning a Dog or Cat Can Reduce Stress is  a good article covering health benefits of having a pet best friend.

Being completely self-absorbed isn’t possible when a hungry, fuzzy, nose wakes you in the morning and it’s much sweeter than any alarm. They also want to snuggle and have a pat and ears rubbed which lowers our blood pressure and pain levels. Pets have sort of sixth sense of our feelings. They show up when we are miserable, just to stay with us and show support.

Our pets need our attention as well. They need feeding, watering and dogs need walking. Taking care of them takes our mind from annoying symptoms and we can’t only take care of them when it’s convenient. They teach us to remember important things even when we feel bad.

Pets never judge us, don’t care about our weight, hairstyle or clothes. They don’t care about interior decoration or social status. My girls are rescues. They ooze with gratitude for the food they eat and the love they get. They try so hard to please me and are such a sweet pleasure to have around.

It is so important for people with disabilities to have pets,  and that pets have homes. Many states now have programs to support and help pet parents find and keep their right best friend. These programs are not in all states but it is worth checking for resources in your area.

The Americans with Disabilities Act acknowledges how important pets are and assure tenants are not discriminated against for owning pets and the same applies to people over the age of sixty. Read this article to understand your rights and limits: Elderly or Disabled Tenants: The Right to Have Pets

Be sure to consider the life you take responsibility for. These sweet creatures do so much for us. Make sure you can give them the love, care and attention they need. It’s the least we can do for our Fuzzy Friends.

Pets for Depression and Health
Can your depression problems improve when you interact with your pet?

5 Ways Pets Can Improve Your Health