I’ve always been one to advocate how good animals are for your mental health. Having grown up with dogs, I always knew how soothing and heart warming it felt to be around them.
Whether it was getting cuddles from them or simply playing football in the back garden, there really was no better feeling! Then I met James, and I had to get accustomed to a new kind of pet.
Cats.
Having never been a cat person I was sceptical at first. My views of cats weren’t great if I’m being honest. Having parents who have never been keen on them, I automatically thought I was going to struggle to get on board with them!
Wasn’t I wrong…
I fricking love cats. Having been around them for over three years now and having rescued a third, we’re one big happy feline loving family. One massive thing having cats has taught me is that they’re just as good for your mental health as dogs.
Of course they have their differences, let’s face it it’s much more difficult to get a cat to sit on your lap soundly for hours….unless they’re one of our three! Honestly, I’ve never known three more sleepy animals in my whole life.
Just being able to curl up with them on an evening after a long days work is a blessing in itself. It helps to calm my mind, make me feel loved and just give me that bit of down time I often need.
According to a study by Cats Protection (where we rescued our three furry friends from), 87% of people who owned a cat felt it had a positive impact on their wellbeing, while 76% said they could cope with everyday life much better thanks to the company of their felines.
Looking to the future
One thing I wish I had got before our beautiful doggo passed away last year is a cute portrait or something similar done of her. Something that I could hang on the wall or pop in a photo frame that was just a little bit more than a photograph. Companies like vectorpets.com can produce a custom animal illustration for as little as £8.10 which is just unreal, and they look amazing!
If I can get the cats to sit together for longer then a millisecond then I might even get one of the three of them. Little sentiments like these can help to feel as though they’ll be with you forever.
Despite the (hopefully soon) house move, I don’t think we’ll be getting any more pets just yet. Even though the new house is bigger, I think a fourth cat might just push us over the edge ha! But you never know, a puppy may be on the horizon at some point.
I love how dynamic a pet can make your home feel. But remember, animals really are forever, not just for Christmas or for lockdown as a novelty. They need all the care and love in the world. If you do that, they’ll do the same and so much more for you.
