Do you have a pet? If you do, you know that having a pet to come home to is incredibly beneficial to your mental health. Our TherapyWorks team is full of animal lovers who include cats, dogs and horses among their family members. Our Director of Intake recently added a new, three-legged dog to her pack and couldn’t be happier.
This article by Sarah Fader tells her story of herself and her cat, Carly. From our team of pet lovers to you- enjoy!
I adore animals, always have, always will. My cat, Carly is a special girl. She is sweet and attentive. She wants to be with me at all times. As soon as I sit down at the computer to write an article she hops onto my shoulder and purrs. Carly loves to be close to me.
Recently, I had a ruptured ovarian cyst which caused me to be mostly bed ridden.I have been laying down recovering with quite a bit of pain from this ailment.Carly has noticed that her owner isn’t acting like her upbeat self. She quietly jumps up onto my bed, plants herself on my hip and purrs. She senses that I am not well and she wants to help. The way that she nurtures me is to be close to me.
Since she doesn’t communicate in words, but rather uses her cat behavior to show me that she is concerned about me (her cat guardian) and wants me to feel better.
Having Carly around makes me feel at ease. I can feel her love for me and I adore her back. She is my therapy cat. Whenever I am feeling sad, Carly finds me laying on my bed, strokes and kneads my hair while I cry. She is an incredible animal and I feel blessed to be her owner.
Animals provide a deep level of support for us that is unique. Sometimes it is easier to be with your pet than it is to have a dialogue with another human being. Carly loves me unconditionally. She doesn’t hold a grudge. All she expects is that I feed her, care for her, and keep her safe. And I can do that for her. In return she provides me with love and a free form of cat therapy.
If you love animals and have the time and the means to take care of one, I highly recommend adopting one from a shelter. They provide a sense of comfort that is invaluable to us.
Do you have an animal who is special to you? Tell me about him/her!