How Have Your Pets Helped You?

[5headh]

Copied from a post I made on a petforum with stuff added;

You read things on the internet on how animals change peoples lives dramatically especially of those with physical and mental illnesses.

But I didnt really think it happened.

How have they helped you?

Ill start; (You might wanna skip if your in a hurry)

Last June after suffering with mental illnesses for the past 7 years I had quite a bad attack, severe panic attacks and depression, the anxiety caused me to have bad vertigo and sickness feelings of which due to my emetaphobia, I became housebound, stuck lying down 24/7. I was diagnosed with emetaphobia and agrohphobia, aswell as already existing anxiety/depression, after seeing many ENT doctors and neurologists.

I knew I had to do something I couldnt spend my life on the sofa! I started by standing in the garden with our family dog Woody, then I would put my shoes on, lay back down, then get up and take him for a short walk around the 'block' about 1/6 of a mile. Thankfully he was very forgiving with these pathetic 'walks'

After a month or so I was walking him for up to a mile and a half at a time, however I would not go further than the centre of our village, so we would go up and down the same road until I would feel to dizzy and needed to lay down!

In December after 6 months of being awful I took the plunge, I messaged some local dog rehoming centres to see if I could become a volunteer, I knew I wasnt ready to go to full time work, I couldnt stand the idea of being trapped, but with volunteering I could help out when I felt at the my best but have some time off when I felt too bad!

Before long I was spending all my spare time there, walking the dogs, cleaning out the kennels and even dealing with the public, something I thought I would never do!

In january I was asked if I could foster one of they're puppies while we found a home for him, I only had him for 10 days before he was off to his new home, I toilet trained him and taught him some basic commands in this time and even did his home check! But it hurt to see him go!

In march time I was asked if i could commit to 2 days a week as 'my days' this meant I would be there all day from 9-4 and would be 'trapped' as such, I agreed, this was a big thing for me, but I managed it, every so often I would have days where I would have dizzy spells and ache due to stress and anxiety.

In February we had a lurcher come in from the stray block due to be put to sleep, so we took him on. He has proven quite hard to rehome due to his strong prey drive, so suspect he was a gypsy hunting dog!

3 weeks ago my friend went on holiday so I house sat for him and Ronin the lurcher came with me on foster, he is still here with me and my friend now! And my confidence has sored, but only when Ronin is with me! I can go anywhere, I walked miles with him the other day doing 'chores' his happy to sit outside shops and wait for me, and will lay down while im visiting people, we just plod along together, I just wish dogs were allowed in more places and on buses!!

Since Ronin has been on foster with me I have been to the community mental health team for an assessment and have been told they 99% suspect I have severe anxiety and borderline personality disorder, I am just waiting for an appointment for an official diagnosis. I honestly believe Ronin has helped me so much, the days when I dont even want to leave the house I have to take him for a walk even if it is round the estate or to tesco to look in the reduced section for him raw diet! Not only that but he is so happy to see me, in the mornings when I go downstairs with him and i sit on the sofa he gives me a happy bark/grumble asif to say 'heeyy!'

At times I have tried to self-harm he just sits and looks at me whimpering as if he knows what Im trying to do.

Whoa sorry for the essay! How have your pets helped you?!

[Anabas]

Hi 5headh,

I don't have a dog ( I would like one) but I do have cats. They can be relaxing I find. Sometimes just having them sit beside me is a comfort. Today for example, they are being very sweet and sitting on the sofa with me. This doesn't happen often.

When I am in a crisis, my girl cat who is very independent and doesn't often come for cuddles will follow me everywhere around the house. I always feel she senses when I'm struggling.

You are very kind to be fostering dogs, I couldn't do it (mainly because of the cats) but also because I would fear caring that much about them I wouldn't want to let them go. Takes a special kind of person to commit to that.

xx

[JasmineRose]

I had a cat. She was a rescue cat who'd been badly treated before I adopted her when she was 5. We grew emotionally together, both becoming less withdrawn. She was tenderness and closeness and comfort during quite a traumatic breakdown time for me. She knew when I was upset, and would come and snuggle close. Listening to and feeling her purring was so therapeutic.

[Corpsewithpulse]

The immediate and unconditional trust, loyalty and compassion shown to me as soon as I retired my racing greyhound demonstrated to me that such characteristics do exist and should be appreciated no matter what form it comes in. This was especially poignant as the dog's trainer wanted to have him put down.

[greenthing]

loved my dog, my dog loved me... loved my cats, my cats loved me... my gosh that was important for 20 years or so... unfortunately my wife's asthma deteriorated and when they departed this mortal coil they could not be replaced... then had a series of recycled rabbits for 10 years and you guessed it, i loved my rabbits, my rabbits loved me... unfortunately my wife decided a couple of years ago that keeping pets was wrong, for reasons she has explained to me several times, but which I seem incapable of remembering. So... I got chickens - they are not pets, they are egg laying devices. At least that's my excuse. Guess what... i love my chickens, my chickens love me - they sit on my head, shoulders, lap etc. when I go in their run, so they must do!!

anyway - when i feel shit, they come and love me without condition. In return I give them the best conditions I can conjour up - free range but protected from predators... all sorts of different food - and lots of company from their own kind and from me and my daughter...

[Corpsewithpulse]

Ernest Hemingway said it best when he observed that;-

“A cat has absolute emotional honesty: human beings, for one reason or another, may hide their feelings, but a cat does not.”

Cats are awesome :)

[Silverwolf]

Our Pet Rats Milly and Molly have given me a very important thing that I've never had before:

Hope.

This was my original post shortly after we got them in October 2010 about how they've helped me.

Milly especially.

Posted 20 December 2010 - 11:43 PM

I had a bit of a rant the other day in the venting section (See ) in which i ended saying that all my hope had gone.

Well I quite often understand bits about myself by random shit going on around me, and today I was thinking about our Rat Milly.

When we got her home from the pet shop (back in October) she was impossible to handle. She was so jumpy and when we tried to get her out of the cage she legged it and hid behind the stereo, before finally being 'rescued' and put back in her cage with her friend Molly.

Now initially i was annoyed with her, because i wanted to be able to hug and bond and play with her soon after getting her home.(After 24hr settling in period) Just like i could with Molly.

Then I felt empathy for her because i saw a lot of myself in her.:

She would jump at loud noises.

Run and hide at anything new - like hands - coming into her cage

View any new additions to cage suspiciously - approach, sniff, runaway, approach, sniff, runaway, repeat x3 before she would accept something as being there and being 'safe'.

So I reasoned, that maybe she had been a bit mishandled at the petshop and so didn't yet trust 'human hands' as maybe they had brought pain and fear in the past.

Therefore i said to hubby that we needed to take things slowly with her so that we could build her trust, that we wouldn't hurt her.

I started by deciding their cage was their 'safe place' and that i wouldn't get them out by chasing them round the cage as she needed to learn that it was hers and Mollies home and was therefore safe.

Instead i would bring treats for them to take through the bars and then later to their cage door (But it was up to them to come and take the treat from me)

After that we moved to letting them free run in the bathroom at night and just sit there so they could come and sniff (but we wouldn't move)

Eventually they both began climbing on us.

Lastly I started approaching the cage in a special rattie jumper with big sleaves that they could climb into. Milly watched Molly having fun and eventually started pushing her out of the way to climb into my sleeve herself.

Now i can sit in my computer chair and Milly runs all around it never straying too far.

If she gets scared by a sound or wants comforting she runs back inside by sleeve and sometimes curls up inside my main part of jumper occasionally peeking out the neck piece to see what's going on around her.

I guess my point is that we've had them both since Oct 16th (They were 8weeks old then)2010 and it's taken 2 months of hard work and consistency in our approach for her to gain this trust in us.

Taken that Rats live on average 2.5yrs then her 'therapy' so far has lasted the equivalent of 12.3 Rat yrs.

Milly is far from cured of her anxiety and I suspect she will always be more cautious than Molly, but to think of how far she has come in that short time amazes me and she truly seems a very different rat.

What I'm trying to say, is that, if her having a 'safe place' and s/one to build a relationship with who is caring and consistent in their approach with her has helped her to be less fearful of people and her surroundings - then maybe that's kind've what's meant to happen in Therapy for me!

I'm only just under a yr into Therapy (and don't think I'll get 12.3 yrs on NHS) but MAYBE there is some hope for me too.

(Thanks for reading this far, sorry for the long post, but thought i'd share as it might give hope to s/one else too)

x

So I think Animals are wonderful, they are so empathetic, and can teach us so many things, without even having words. They can be companions, supports, teachers and even therapists.

x

[5headh]

Our Pet Rats Milly and Molly have given me a very important thing that I've never had before:

Hope.

This was my original post shortly after we got them in October 2010 about how they've helped me.

Milly especially.

Posted 20 December 2010 - 11:43 PM

I had a bit of a rant the other day in the venting section (See ) in which i ended saying that all my hope had gone.

Well I quite often understand bits about myself by random shit going on around me, and today I was thinking about our Rat Milly.

When we got her home from the pet shop (back in October) she was impossible to handle. She was so jumpy and when we tried to get her out of the cage she legged it and hid behind the stereo, before finally being 'rescued' and put back in her cage with her friend Molly.

Now initially i was annoyed with her, because i wanted to be able to hug and bond and play with her soon after getting her home.(After 24hr settling in period) Just like i could with Molly.

Then I felt empathy for her because i saw a lot of myself in her.:

She would jump at loud noises.

Run and hide at anything new - like hands - coming into her cage

View any new additions to cage suspiciously - approach, sniff, runaway, approach, sniff, runaway, repeat x3 before she would accept something as being there and being 'safe'.

So I reasoned, that maybe she had been a bit mishandled at the petshop and so didn't yet trust 'human hands' as maybe they had brought pain and fear in the past.

Therefore i said to hubby that we needed to take things slowly with her so that we could build her trust, that we wouldn't hurt her.

I started by deciding their cage was their 'safe place' and that i wouldn't get them out by chasing them round the cage as she needed to learn that it was hers and Mollies home and was therefore safe.

Instead i would bring treats for them to take through the bars and then later to their cage door (But it was up to them to come and take the treat from me)

After that we moved to letting them free run in the bathroom at night and just sit there so they could come and sniff (but we wouldn't move)

Eventually they both began climbing on us.

Lastly I started approaching the cage in a special rattie jumper with big sleaves that they could climb into. Milly watched Molly having fun and eventually started pushing her out of the way to climb into my sleeve herself.

Now i can sit in my computer chair and Milly runs all around it never straying too far.

If she gets scared by a sound or wants comforting she runs back inside by sleeve and sometimes curls up inside my main part of jumper occasionally peeking out the neck piece to see what's going on around her.

I guess my point is that we've had them both since Oct 16th (They were 8weeks old then)2010 and it's taken 2 months of hard work and consistency in our approach for her to gain this trust in us.

Taken that Rats live on average 2.5yrs then her 'therapy' so far has lasted the equivalent of 12.3 Rat yrs.

Milly is far from cured of her anxiety and I suspect she will always be more cautious than Molly, but to think of how far she has come in that short time amazes me and she truly seems a very different rat.

What I'm trying to say, is that, if her having a 'safe place' and s/one to build a relationship with who is caring and consistent in their approach with her has helped her to be less fearful of people and her surroundings - then maybe that's kind've what's meant to happen in Therapy for me!

I'm only just under a yr into Therapy (and don't think I'll get 12.3 yrs on NHS) but MAYBE there is some hope for me too.

(Thanks for reading this far, sorry for the long post, but thought i'd share as it might give hope to s/one else too)

x

So I think Animals are wonderful, they are so empathetic, and can teach us so many things, without even having words. They can be companions, supports, teachers and even therapists.

x

That was so lovely what you wrote!

I completely see where you are coming from though, animals are amazing and seem to be able to tell when something is wrong!

[5headh]

Thanks for all the replies I got a better responce on this forum than I did the petforum, where I was told I was wierd!!

Ronin is with me tonight as we are both staying somewhere new for the weekend, my anxiety is sky high as wel as having minor whiplash symptoms, all my own fault as I got Ronin too over excited out on a walk on his longline, so have bad back and neck especially when I swallow as well as sore arms!! So feeling sorry for myself!

Pretty stressed too, feel bit out, Ronin is stressed too, he keeps whimpering and pacing, so many new smells and a completely new enviroment hoping he settles too though!!

[Truelove89]

When I lived with my Mum I had a dog called Molly who got me no matter what, she was by my side when I was sad, angry, poorly, despairing. She knew when I needed her.

Now I occasionally look after my in-law's dog who drives me up the wall with his attention seeking, but nevertheless I totally miss the dog when he has to go back home.

I wish I could have a dog permanently but it just isn't practically sensible at the moment.

[Eagleheart]

My darling,fat,ginger cat Timmy is my guardian angel. I really believe that. One evening,i got all my drugs out and popped them out of their foil blisters,absolutely determined to swallow them all. I was hopeless and didn't want to go on. I was crying,sobbing violently. Very much in turmoil. And then i became aware of a presence. It was Timmy. He was sitting by my side and he mewed and mewed. I turned to face him and he reached up and tenderly licked the tears off my face. And in that moment,i knew i was loved beyond measure. He can sense exactly how i'm feeling and is a constant companion. He makes my life beautiful.

[Corpsewithpulse]

I'm sure some of you may have seen this clip but this exemplifies why dogs are also awesome

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysKAVyXi0J4

[Silverwolf]

That was so lovely what you wrote!

I completely see where you are coming from though, animals are amazing and seem to be able to tell when something is wrong!

Thanks 5headh

I've grown up in a house where there was always animals of one form or another, cat, dog, chickens, goldfish and pet mice, so it felt kinda lonely when me & hubby moved in together not having animals there. After a year we got a pet Mouse, and now we've started with the Rats. Would love to get a dog and a cat but we live in a flat so not really fair on them.

But we decided when we eventually get a house we will definitely get a dog!

And it'll be a nice big one that i can cuddle!!!

Aaw hope you & Ronin are able to settle a bit over weekend. Maybe cuddle up on sofa together & watch a film.

x

[Silverwolf]

I'm sure some of you may have seen this clip but this exemplifies why dogs are also awesome

Aaaw CWP that clip is amazing!

Animals really do remember and miss their Caretakers when away, that's just so lovely

x

[donnam]

my pets give me unconditional love, my dog is my shadow! and even tho still a youngster wouldn't b with out her! my cats give me lots of attention too bar one. but Cindy knows when i am really poorly and always comes to me! she even saved my life as a kitten as i tried to kill myself but she continued to pester me until i quit! she literally is a hero kitty! i adore them all! muffin my kitten loves his cuddles and is adorable and Tianna the dog is the same more attention the better so while i am ill she is with my parents! Ariel the eldest cat brings a smile to my face when she comes for cuddle as not v often