Coping Skills: Pet

[ysabetwordsmith]

Folks have mentioned an interest in questions and conversations that make them think. So I've decided to offer more of those. This is the current list of coping skills.

8. Care for or play with a pet.

This always makes me smile.

Comments

[caera_ash]

Last weekend I got to spend time with a dog for the first time in a couple years and it did me so much good!

Yay!

[ysabetwordsmith]

That's good to hear.

[siliconshaman]

Cat cafes should be part of the health service (NHS here) and much, much more common. As the guy said, you can't be stressed after sitting in a box full of kittens.

Plus, if you used rescues and could adopt, I'm betting there would be a lot less strays.

Yes ...

[ysabetwordsmith]

>> Cat cafes should be part of the health service (NHS here) and much, much more common. As the guy said, you can't be stressed after sitting in a box full of kittens. <<

Cat cafes, puppy parks, and other pet-visiting places are indeed more common in T-America and popular prescriptions for a variety of mental issues. They can help a lot, for both physiological and social reasons.

>> Plus, if you used rescues and could adopt, I'm betting there would be a lot less strays. <<

Yeah, a lot of T-American places do that.

They also have a charity called Purr Little Things, which posts videos of purring cats and kittens. Most of them are rescued or donated ones who are available for adoption, although they've got some who are long-term members.

Cat therapy

[mdlbear]

I would be in much worse shape without our cats.

Re: Cat therapy

[ysabetwordsmith]

Like the t-shirt:

http://weluvtees.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/in-case-of-emergency-place-cat-here.jpg

[erulisse]

My supervisor has a puppy she brings to the office most days. He is super exuberant but also loves to cuddle and has greatly enhanced my work life.

Aww ...

[ysabetwordsmith]

That's so sweet! :D

Re: Aww ...

[erulisse]

It's pretty awesome!

You can find his "professional" bio here allll the way toward the bottom of the page: https://www.mosaicmentalhealthcenter.com/bio

[arthur_p_dent]

When dealing with coping skills, I think there needs to be some differentiation between “caring for” or “playing with” a pet, and actually having one.

Using myself as an example, after the past few years having a dog, I know without any doubt that I’ll never have another. While much of the time she’s sweet and quiet, the times when she isn’t are extremely taxing for me. That, coupled with the amount of daily responsibility required, adds far more to my stress and anxiety levels than is offset by the fun times.

Yes ...

[ysabetwordsmith]

That's true. For some people, a cat cafe is much better than living with a cat.

Of course, it also depends on the person, and the pet. Some people are more tractive or less bothered, while some pets are more soothing or more pesky.

You can actually see detailed examples in a good rating system for choosing a breed of cat or dog. While individual variations occur, some breeds are famously more relaxed (Ragdoll) or demanding (Siamese).

Re: Yes ...

[arthur_p_dent]

Absolutely there are pros and cons to types of pets, as well as different types of people trying to find the right fit. Guess I was just playing devil’s advocate. =]

Re: Yes ...

[ysabetwordsmith]

You raised a valid point, which has multiple solutions.

[pronker]

I liked the vid. TidyCat has the resources to put forth a cat cafe and it's another reason to admire business models who go the extra mile; for instance, Enterprise rent-a-car gives rides to and from the pickup and dropoff lots, a marvelous stress reducer. I don't think Hertz or other companies do this.