That loving, snuggly feeling aside, there’s something else pets do for you. They heal.
Ancient Indians and Pets
Animals were very important to ancient Indians, who respected their right to co-exist with people peacefully.
They were aware of the habits of a wide range of animal species and the knowledge was recorded in the Upanishads, Garudapurana etc. These writings contain modern concepts on the origin of life, organic evolution and environmental science.
Take dogs for instance. The effusive expressions of love they are capable of can lift sagging spirits in an instant. The soft, cold nose snuggling against you, the ecstatic tail wags and joyous barks, all indicate how special you are to them.
Despite their legendary attitude, cats still have their way of letting you know they love you. They cuddle in your lap and even give you their version of a dainty “kiss”. The fact that they make you feel better emotionally is well known. But over the past few years, the power of pets is also being used to heal people suffering from serious ailments.
How do Pets Heal
The healing effect of an affectionate pet on its owner is something medical establishments in the world have just woken up to. As per studies, little displays of affection towards the pet and by the pet, such as stroking can lower the heart rate, blood pressure and respiratory rate. Watching fish in an aquarium also has a serene effect on the mind and body.
Many animal shelters are now bringing animals for visits to nursing homes or old age homes. Interacting with the cuddly animals helps mitigate the loneliness of the elderly. The results have been spectacular.
The aged and the destitute appear to open up around their preferred pets, mental barriers erected over years of a hard life or after traumatizing personal experiences start crumbling, leading to significant improvement in health. Such interactions are great for children in rehabilitation centers as well.
Pet Owners’ Experiences
Sanjivani Chawla, a bubbly 25-year-old in Punjab, India, was shattered when she came to know she had breast cancer
. To make matters worse, the diagnosis was made when the cancer was advanced. Being a medical student, Sanjivani knew there was not much that could be done about it.
Watching her life slip by, the normally gregarious Sanjivani started retreating into her shell. She was plagued by pain, fear and the feeling of being out of control. The sympathy she received from /people pushed her deeper into the chasm, till a concerned friend gifted her a Pomeranian pup.
Though reluctant initially, the cute pup started drawing Sanjivani out. She could hide from everyone. But she knew she had to care for the pup. In between feeding and bathing it, she could not help falling in love with it.
“It made me laugh after a long time. After ages, I felt the pleasure of small things. I loved holding it and even my painful treatment at the hospital became more bearable,” she said, a few days before her death. Sanjivani lost her battle with cancer, but “Julie”, her pet, made the last days worthwhile.
Catherine, an economics student in the U.S., whose mother was a schizophrenic, lost hope of ever seeing her mother in normal condition. She refused to talk to anyone and spent most of her time locked in her room.
At the advice of her doctor, Catherine decided to take her mother Maria to a horse farm. Caring for horses, the doctor reasoned, could help Maria interact constructively with the world again.
Sure enough, Maria started talking to the animals she was responsible for. She bared her heart to them and was delighted to be acknowledged by them. Her condition improved so significantly that she even took up a job.
Expert Support for ‘Pet Therapy’
As of now, scientists are unanimous about the positive impact of having a pet at home or making patients interact with animals. Researchers in Cambridge, England, discovered that within a month of taking a cat or dog into their home, new owners reported a "highly significant" reduction in minor ailments.
A study conducted on around 6000 patients in Baker Mill Research Institute, Australia, revealed that people with pets had lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol levels and significantly lower risk for heart attacks. According to the study, even after a heart attack, pet owners are more likely than other coronary patients to be alive a year later.
The reasons are simple, experts say. Pets help us reduce our state of excitement, which reduces blood pressure. We are fulfilling our most primitive and basic need, the need to touch.
Some British prisons are encouraging inmates to keep pets to bring about changes in their attitude and behavior. Many prisoners experience what it is like to give and receive love.
Pets- the Life Savers
Some dogs can actually predict epileptic seizures by detecting subtle changes in their owners. Andrew Edney, a British veterinarian, studied 37 pet dogs that reacted to their owners' impending fits. Some became anxious or restless; others nuzzled their owners, stood guard over them or ran to fetch people.
The Emotional Bond
For some people, pets score over human companions. A study conducted at Warwich University, England, found that people who have trouble confiding in others and expressing affection towards others, have no problems showering affection on a pet.
Pets are nature’s way of reminding us of the power of unconditional love. In the master-pet relationship, both sides overcome barriers of language to instinctively understand the needs of the other and respond, without expecting anything in return.
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