The Power of Pets

THE POWER OF PETS: HOW THEY CONTRIBUTE TO YOUR MENTAL HEALTH - By Tristan Best

From my personal experience, having pets is one of the biggest blessings in life. Even though most of them can’t speak, they understand you and love you unconditionally. When your day at work has been harder than usual, they’ll be there for you, for that cuddle and their dinner.

Me and my household love the company of the feline sort. We’ve got plenty of cats, some who barely set foot outside – we call them the ‘house cats’. A great example of this would be Tiddles. He loathes the outdoors – the wind, the rain, the snow and the other animals out there. He’s softly spoken and loves to drink his weight in milk on a daily basis. Having pets is such a luxury – a gift for sure. I asked some people from my community a few questions regarding their opinions on pets and the impact their pets have on their mental health.

Jude, a retiree from Kedleston – birds

I asked Jude a couple of questions regarding her lifestyle, and whether she had pets. She mentioned that she had a cat called Gary, but what really caught my attention was her love for her two beautiful birds, an Indian Ringneck called Cherry Plum and a blue beaut called Kevin. They might be loud and messy, but they always provide the best company, making sure their presence is known. Cherry Plum is seven – he’s been around for a long time and will be with her for many years to come. Kevin is two and a half, so he’s still very young. He is a Blue Kakariki – ‘kaka’ meaning parrot, and ‘riki’ meaning small.

Laura, a carer from Allestree – cats

Laura happened to mention her many cats and her enormous passion for them, so I asked her how they benefit her mental health. She said, “It’s usually when you’re feeling down and out for the day when one of your pets comes and gives you that nudge you need. I love hugging and cuddling my cats – they have played a huge role in my household for years and will continue for many years to come.” She could be known as ‘the cat lady’ for all I know. She has a lot of cats: Timmy, Raven and Penny.

Louis, a music producer from Mackworth – dogs

I asked Louis how he thinks dogs affect his and general people’s mental health and he replied, “A dog is a man’s best friend. They’ll show you so much love no matter who you are in life, just as long as you treat them well”. He also spoke about how lonely people with dogs are likely to be cheered up and kept busy by their dogs and other pets. Naturally, that gives them their headspace and feeling of importance that they need, to know they’re a major part of their day, going for walks, feeding them, hugging them, and just sharing a general affection with one another. Louis has two Jack Russells called Gordy and Milo.

Kieran, a student from Allestree – cats and fish

My little brother Kieran loves his fish – and to fish. We’ve been going a lot quite recently, and have caught a lot on the way. Yes, we may not catch record breakers, but we catch up with each other, and more importantly he gets his head away from school and homework (not that he actually does his homework). All of this cheers him up and gets him outside. His fish at home, on the other hand, are members of our family. Kieran loves to spend time with Nemo and Dory (unoriginal, I know), watching them swim and do their thing. Dory is the small one, and Nemo is the bigger one. Kieran also loves his cats. He grew up with them, so he’s found himself developing great bonds with all of his cats, he had his own cat who sadly passed away with old age. He speaks fondly of her – her name was Scraggs, and she was a gorgeous grey persian. Now he has cats such as Teddy Bear, Mia and Marina. They make him laugh and give him someone to play with when other people in his household are busy. Overall, after speaking to various people, I find animals of all kinds have a positive impact on human mental health. But remember – you must make sure to leave a positive impact on them too by providing proper care to any animal you keep as a pet.