I have not always appreciated the value of having pets. We had fish when I was little. One time I had a hamster that got out of its cage, which ended any ongoing relationship with hamsters I had hoped to have. When I was nine, we got a cat. But it was an outdoor cat, who showed up for meals and otherwise went his own way. When my kids were young, I tried the outdoor cat thing again. In retrospect, I must have been motivated by my own neuroses about pet hair, etc because the outdoor cat gig didn’t work any better for my kids than it did for me. Finally, I gave in and we got an indoor cat. The kids loved her and played with her but her personality was not really suited to being dressed up and lugged around by small children. She is gone now, and her personality remained fairly antisocial to the end of her days. Letting go of her was hard, nonetheless. Change often occurs when the negatives outweigh the positives of one’s current behavior. After their father died, it was very difficult to watch my children struggle with this life change. My daughter wanted a dog. A dog would help her grief process, she professed. It was time to put my neuroses aside. We went to the Humane Society to “look”. It is no surprise that we came home with a dog. This is where my education about the value of animal companionship began to grow.
Let’s look at some of the ways pets contribute to positive mental health:
Animals do not judge. You can be crabby with them and they still love you. They don’t nag when you are too tired to take them for a walk or even when you forget to fill the food bowl once or twice. You don’t have to watch the Animal Planet channel very long to see multiple examples of animals who have been horribly neglected or abused who are still willing to re-engage in relationships with humans. It is pretty incredible, really. Unconditional positive regard is shown to contribute to positive self esteem and self image. If your pet loves you, maybe you could try not being so hard on yourself.
Animals are creatures of habit. On days I work early, I let the dog out at 6:00AM. She thinks she should be let out EVERY DAY at that time. <Groan>. After she comes back in, she gets treats. If for some reason we are out of treats, the dog will sit on the rug in front of the refrigerator for a long time waiting, despite my apologies and assurances that I will go to the store. Having a routine and sticking to it provides security and lessens anxiety. Even the most adventurous of us benefit from knowing what to expect in some aspects of life.
Animals provide a needed diversion from the stresses of life. Playing with your pet, shopping for your pet, taking the dog for a walk- all these things can take our mind off of things that we are anxious or depressed about. Sometimes the best way to get out of a downward emotional spiral is to do something different for just a little while.
Animals keep us engaged with other people and life in general. If I am not apologizing for all the ferocious barking my anxious dog is doing at other dogs when we walk, people often stop to say how cute she is. My mother provided doggy day care for our dog until she passed away, giving her a purpose when the last stages of life made her feel purposeless. Staying engaged with life and caring for another living being helps us get outside of our own concerns and isolation.
There are many ways to increase positive mental health that have nothing to do with therapy. Having an animal companion can be one of them. Pets can help us keep life in perspective and make living it more enjoyable.
