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COVID-19 have had us confined to our homes leading to lockdown blues. During this time, your pet can be a source of much needed joy and strength
Could you have imagined being locked-down in your home because of a global epidemic? Bizarre as it sounds, this block-buster movie scenario has come to pass, and we all find ourselves trapped in our homes, unable to move out or even interact with anyone from the outside world.
This situation has caused a surprising amount of frustration to humans across the world, with many plummeting into depression and states of despondency. And, as we all know, since there is a mind-body connect, staying mentally strong goes a long way in keeping your immunity up, and your defences strong against the disease. So, if you are caring for a cat, dog or any other animals, here’s how they’re helping you stay on top of things.
Mental strength means physical strength: It is a proven fact that families, or individuals, with pets are emotionally and mentally healthier than people who don’t have pets. This means you are less likely to suffer from depression, or other kinds of mental and emotional problems that could bring your immunity down. Having a pet has therefore made you physically more resilient to any kind of disease, including viral infections.
A reason to go on: For people who do fall sick with the virus, or any other disease, resilience has a lot to do with wanting to get better and get back to life. Those of us who have had pets will vouch that better emotional ties with those around us puts us in the correct frame of mind for recovery. Since our relationship with our cats and dogs is more unconditional, and uncomplicated than how we relate to most humans, having a pet means we're more inclined to recover faster and return to caring for them.
Good company: The long-term benefits of having a pet aside are that those of us with pets to care for are not likely to succumb to boredom, depression and unhealthy habits like binge-eating, not exercising, or binging on our gadgets. Not only do our pets keep us on our toes, because we build healthier mental neurons while interacting with our pets, our general disposition is more productive and proactive while being home-bound, thanks for the fur balls in our lives.
The writer is Devanshi Shah, Founder-CEO, PetKonnect
Myths busted
Myth 1: Dogs can spread the Covid-19 virus
Fact: According to the WHO, there is no evidence to suggest that COVID-19 in the form that it appears in humans can spread onto companion animals or, for that matter, can an animals spread the virus to humans.
Myth 2: So pets can skip the hygiene protocols
Fact: A senior vet at the American vet charity PSDA says the hygiene protocols even for pets is still important. For instance, if your pet in taken out, it could bring back the virus through its paws, which can contaminate your home for humans. So don’t skip sanitising them.
Myth 3: Since dogs or cats can’t spread the virus, they can be around patients with COVID-19
Fact: It is not recommended. Not so much for the sake of the pets as much for the patient who may be recovering from the virus. Their immunity would be low at such a point, so it’s actually a good idea to keep both animals and humans away from them since animals may carry bacteria or germs from being taken outdoors.
