This has probably been my saddest Christmas in a long while: My little cat was run over two days before Christmas. If you’ve ever lost an animal you’ve loved, you know the sort of grief its loss can bring. It didn’t help that her death was so sudden. At 8 pm when I came home from work, she was sitting in the balcony, peering at the Christmas tree (she loved the lights). By 10 pm, she was dead, her still-warm body lifeless and covered in blood. I keep replaying the ‘what must have happened’ sequence in my head and keep wishing I had brought her in instead of drifting off to sleep early that night.
Coming to terms with it is hard. But I also know, I should be grateful, that I had that. My cats came at a time when I really needed them; they keep me from becoming cynical and offer me hope and laughter and love. And for that, I am grateful.
They say the world is divided into ‘cat’ people and ‘dog’ people. I’m not so sure about that. I live in an apartment, so cats are more practical, but my sister’s dog and me are great pals (she is the only person I share dessert with, go figure).
And I rather like cows and hamsters and rabbits and horses, though I haven’t ever owned any of them, to be honest. So I call myself a ‘fur person’ instead — hanging around animals leaves me feeling less stressed, happier and more at peace with myself. It turns out that I’m not alone. A quick Google search throws up a plethora of articles and research that reiterate what I’ve known since I was 25 and got my first cat (or she got me, really, cats are like that). Owning a pet lowers your triglyceride levels, blood pressure and cholesterol levels. It also makes you a happier person: interacting with one releases happy hormones like prolactin, oxytocin and endorphins, the same sort that get released when you get in a good workout or have awesome sex.
Interaction with animals, especially dogs, also keeps the blues at bay: a cuddle or sloppy lick also dramatically raises the levels of serotonin, a hormone needed for your psychological well-being, in your blood. So, it is no wonder that Animal Assisted Therapy is often used to complement traditional therapy in chronic conditions including autism, cancer, dementia, HIV/AIDS, depression, schizophrenia, rheumatoid arthritis and addiction.
And yes, throw in the extra physical activity, hanging around a pet brings in: try doing yoga with a cat or going for a long walk with your dog, the intensity of your workout automatically goes up. They really are great for your mental and physical health.
So, for the first time in years, I am not resolving to do the usual things this New Year: eat better, lose weight, make more money, do something momentous.
If nothing else, her death reminded me how fragile and delicate life is. And that, in the end, the things that matter, the things that make memories and dreams, aren’t what the tabloids and glossies tell us are important.
There really is a lot more to life than six-pack abs, fashionable clothes and double promotions. “If having a soul means being able to feel love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals are better off than a lot of humans,” said James Herriot. I think — no, know — this is true.
