Animals have a way of accepting without qualification. They don't care how a person looks or what they say. An animal's acceptance is nonjudgmental, forgiving, and uncomplicated by the psychological games people often play. They accept you the way you are. Their love is unconditional.
Dollia, the chubby cream colored cat (referred to by the Kraft family as "Fat Louie" ha ha) was my daughter's best friend. She told Dollia all her secrets... about how hard it was to grow up, about how mean the girls at school were, about how hard it was to be one of the only sweet Christian girls in junior high, while the others were going to drinking parties and being promiscuous. She loved that cat, and was devastated when we had to have her put to sleep in 2005. As a momma, it broke my heart to watch my daughter grieve for her best friend, which happened to be a cat. At that moment I didn't truly think that we could ever have another indoor pet. Losing Dollia was too hard, emotionally... and while I was sad, I was tired of my house not being my own. If my husband bought me flowers... I'd catch the cat on the table chewing on the leaves, if I had something pretty on the coffee table- the cat would knock it down. It just seemed like having a pet in the house was a total hassle.
My feelings about all this changed last year when I started thinking about getting a puppy. Normally I wouldn't have even had these thoughts... but my kids were growing up and it was becoming glaringly evident that they didn't need their momma as much as she needed them. I knew I had no choice but to accept that, since it's part of the normal progression of raising children - they're gonna leave the nest eventually! Well, the thought of this started to cause me no small amount of stress. I NEED my kids. I love to care for them, nurture them, love on them... only problem is - a 15 year old boy (man-child) doesn't exactly appreciate these things from his momma at this point in his life. When my son was a little guy, he gave me the best hugs and always told me he loved me. Even up to 5th grade he hugged me when I dropped him off for school. My heart soaaared! Well times have changed... and I'll take whatever hugs I can force out of him and the grunts I get in response to my "I love you's." That's where my precious fuzzy baby comes in.
March 2008 I began looking at puppies online. I thought I wanted a tea cup Yorkie, but a friend of my daughter's advised me to consider a YorkiePoo (Yorkshire Terrier/Poodle). Coincidentally, there was an ad in the paper for a litter of YorkiePoos from a local breeder. I called and drove about 30 miles to take a look at the only girl in the litter. She was precious!! Goodness, my heart just melted when I picked up the round, fuzzy little 2 pound bundle of love with the shiny brown eyes. Could you resist this?
Well I couldn't either... so I put a down payment on her and waited very impatiently for her to turn 8 weeks old so I could bring her home. Everyone loved her. Even her big sister, Trixie (who became a prison dog as a puppy- it's said that pets cut down aggression in the inmates ~ they taught her not to bark, to sit, to shake, etc. She was adopted from an animal shelter when she was 2 years old, we adopted her when she was about 3)
Having Sugar in the house seemed to bring our family closer together, I was especially fond of my fuzzy pup... I never expected to get so much love from such a tiny creature, we spent lots of time together, even though I was still actively running my soap business. Shoogie helped:
She went to softball games
And track meets
She even went on our Rocky Mountain vacation with us
Ah, yes... she was quite popular wherever we went and everyone wanted to know about our little YorkiePoo
When we first brought her home and she cried all night, and during the potty training process I wondered if I had made a mistake... but once we got through those adjustments, I realized that this precious pup was exactly what I needed. She snuggles with me at night when my husband's away on business, She always has hugs and kisses for me, she always loves me. In the midst of raising teenagers, often being the only parent home, running a business and dealing with the every day struggles of life ... something strange happened. I felt LESS stressed and more relaxed. Unbelievable! This tiny puppy gave me a new purpose in life... something to focus my attention on... but more than that - she gave me unconditional love.
I know people that aren't animal lovers can never comprehend how deep human/pet relationships can go, but I say they're missing out. Maybe one day those people will find themselves in need of a companion and they'll change their minds about pets. I know I did and I just can't imagine how I ever lived without this little doll. She has such personality, and so much love. It's so sweet how she comforts me when I'm sad and even how she drops her toys on my face trying to get me to play with her when I'm on the floor trying to exercise. She always likes my attention. She needs me and I need her. Win win. Now that's what I call pet therapy!
It turns out that having a pet is even good for your health! Here are some facts about the benefits of owning a pet, I found this to be really interesting:
- Pet owners have lower triglyceride and cholesterol levels than non-owners
- Companionship of pets (particularly dogs) helps children in families adjust better to the serious illness and death of a parent
- Pet owners feel less afraid of being a victim of crime when walking with a dog or sharing a residence with a dog.
- Pet owners have fewer minor health problems
- Pet owners have better psychological well-being
- Contact with pets develops nurturing behavior in children who may grow to be more nurturing adults
- Pet owners have a higher on-year survival rates following coronary heart disease
- Medication costs dropped from an average of $3.80 per patient per day to just $1.18 per patient per day in new nursing home facilities in New York, Missouri and Texas that have animals and plants as an integral part of the environment.
- Pet owners have better physical health due to exercise with their pets.
- Having a pet may decrease heart attack mortality by 3%. This translates into 30,000 lives saved annually
- Dogs are preventive and therapeutic measures against everyday stress
- Pets decrease feeling of loneliness and isolation
- Positive self-esteem of children is enhanced by owning a pet.
- Children's cognitive development can be enhanced by owning a pet.
- 70% of families surveyed reported an increase in family happiness and fun subsequent to pet acquisition.
- Children owning pets are more involved in activities such as sports, hobbies, clubs or chores.
Ok... go hug your pet, it's good for your health! :)
