Welcome back to my Yule Blog! Today you're in a for a real treat! I'm talking about one of my most favorite animals on the planet: cats! As you've read in many of my previous blogs, I am undeniably in love with cats and I feel like my soul was meant to be intertwined with the souls of cats. Did you know that cats help us cope with grief? And my goodness, we have been more full of grief than ever lately. Managing grief is an extremely difficult process for many people. Grief comes in many forms and follows many different circumstances. Bereavement can leave people feeling depressed, lonely, fatigued, and sad. Whether you’ve lost a pet, a loved one, or experienced a different type of loss, the feeling can be palpable.
Though the grieving process is one that takes time and looks different for everyone, there are tools to help the grieving process. (remember my recommendation for this amazing book about grieving for your pet?) Things like counseling and support groups are there to help people understand the stages of grief and how to cope. For those with pets, they can be another great tool in times of grief. It’s not only dogs that excel as companion animals for emotional support; many other types of animals offer the same type of feelings of comfort. For cat lovers the story is no different. Cats are emotionally tuned in and sensitive creatures that can help their human companions cope with grief:
Overall, cats are great for mental health. Whether you’re experiencing grief or not, cats have a way of improving mental health as a whole. Your cat can relieve your stress, calm feelings of anxiety, and improve overall happiness just by offering a positive and consistent symbiotic relationship with you. Animals offer many perks to our happiness by increasing oxytocin, dopamine, serotonin, and endorphins in our brains, leaving us feeling happier whenever we are around them. For those dealing with the effects of grief, these feelings can be extremely important in helping to cope. -The Catnip Times
A cat purrs within a range of 20-140 Hz which is known to be medically therapeutic for illnesses in humans. A cat’s purr can not only lower stress it can also help labored breathing, lower blood pressure, help heal infections, and even heal bones. For some it can be difficult to legitimize the positive effects on mental health that a cat can offer. But studies have shown and proven the physical effects are real. So it isn’t a far stretch to imagine that if purrs can help heal bones, they can positively impact the effects of stress and anxiety. Any cat owner will tell you how relaxing it is to pet a sleeping cat and listen to their purrs – it’s not just in your head (so to speak).
As I sit here and write this now, I have Bean laying next to me on her favorite pillow and just looking at her is so very calming and therapeutic. I feel so lucky that in this time of my extreme anxiety and suffering the worst panic attacks of my life, that I can pet my kitty and get some much needed fuzz therapy. Even if you don't have a cat, having a pet of any kind can help reduce stress, lower blood pressure and have a calming effect. If you don't currently have a pet, do you plan to get one? What about a small bird or fish? Let me know about your favorite animals and how they comfort you!
Today we are going to our favorite Christmas tree farm where they have plenty of animals to pet and feed and I can't wait! Thanks for stopping by to sit for me a minute today and read some nice calming words. Remember that clicking on any advertisements you see on this blog helps to support me and I can't thank you enough for your help by sharing my blog with your friends! Don't forget to pick up some adorable handmade cards from my etsy shop and as a blog reader you can use the coupon code THANKYOU10 for 10% off any purchase from my store! Another favorite of mine for treating anxiety is Nuvita CBD oil and if you purchase any of the products you can use my code "LRL" at checkout to save $$$. I'm also adding links to my favorite purchases from Amazon that help with my mental health and you can shop with me here at my website. (and here's the link to shop for the book that was a huge help to me for coping with passing of my cat Peanut this past March)
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