Pets as Good Medicine – Let Them Entertain You

While everyone with a chronic illness (physical, emotional, or both) has a different set of health circumstances, one factor remains constant. We all feel lonely, trapped in a world of feeling crappy.

I hadn’t checked the daily prompts for awhile now and since I have not been able to get a post written lately, I decided Sunday I would see if it could generate some inspiration. It didn’t let me down – in fact, I had already thought of what I would try to write about and it all just came together! I just wasn’t feeling well enough (fatigue and pain mostly) to finish it.

Dogs have been known as “Man’s Best Friend” for generations. They can be trained to do many things from fetching the newspaper to guiding the blind and everything in between. The one thing that doesn’t need to be taught is unconditional love.

And while cats have earned a reputation for being aloof and uncaring, they too can provide love and companionship. I mean what is better than having a purring kitty snuggling up to you when you are feeling down (or even if you aren’t).

Well, I have a boatload of chronic conditions and I have Monkey and Miley. The last two can totally make me forget the first with nothing more than a glance.

Our new rescue pup, Miley, is absolutely hilarious. We were watching a special on Tony Bennett and Miley was running up and down our brown leather sofa with a squeaky toy. If the music was quiet, so was Miley. When the music would start back up, she would start squeaking the toy while wildly shaking her head back and forth with the toy in her mouth. Hubby said it is like she has to be on her own stage (the sofa) to get attention. And I think he is right as she was doing it today while I had lunch and tried to watch the news.

But it is behavior like this that makes me smile and forget my problems. Miley isn’t trained as a support animal, but neither was Violet. They come by it naturally. I help Miley when she is scared because of new dogs and/or people and she helps me when I am crying because my feet hurt so bad I can barely walk. If I am up late because I can’t sleep, Miley is asleep beside me whether it is in the office or the living room. If I get up for any reason she is immediately awake and following close behind.

And Monkey isn’t immune to it either, even if she does have to keep up appearances. She will come and lay on the end of the bed if I am napping and if we are sitting in the living room or office she will periodically come to rub up against me (or Hubby). Yes, part of it is wanting something, but not all. While Monkey is quick to point out mealtime and treat time (she learned this annoying habit from our previous dog, Violet), she will then go off and hop into one of her boxes, which are strategically placed in areas where she can feel “safe” and still see what is going on.

We had to put Monkey’s food up on a couple of totes so Miley wouldn’t steal it. When we took the Christmas tree down the three-step ladder was out. It has a tray for paint cans, etc. and it happened to be next to Monkey’s totes. So, she eats and then curls up on the ladder tray to go to sleep. Now I have to figure out how to put the ladder away without hearing a tirade of meows!

I get frustrated, as with today when I have to take Miley out in the rain to the park (across the street) a couple of times and my feet are so swollen I can barely fit in decent footwear for the muddy ground or get up to let Monkey onto the balcony for some air and fresh grass. But that is frustration at my health, not my fur-kids. They are an awesome distraction that can make all the difference in the world.

Lydia

Daily Prompt – Entertain