Its A Paw-fect Vacation

To view the full article click here.  

Both the pets and the pet parents are enjoying their continued togetherness due to the lockdown. Devanshi Shah outlines a few ways in which domestic animals soothe the emotions of a pet parent

It’s been almost two months into lockdown, and those of you with pets have probably eased into a mutually gratifying routine with your cats, or dogs. If you thought your pets have had it good during this time because, they being eager to spend more time with you, have finally got some one-on-one interaction because of the quarantine — you’re right.

They are doing better with you around. But know this — so are you! That’s right, the more time you spend with your pet, the better you’re likely to be doing yourself. This is because it is an established fact that pet-parents who spend more time with their charges:

Are emotionally stronger: Studies prove that people with pets become emotionally more resilient than people without a domestic animal. Being home-bound with your dog or cat gives you the opportunity to care for another being, and the mutual dependency releases happy hormones in both pet-parent and animal that is good for their long-term wellbeing. As the quarantine has people climbing up the walls with boredom and desperation to get out, a pet is not just the best outlet, but 100 per cent guarantee that you won’t be dealing with the same social withdrawal symptoms you peers are.

Enjoy mental stimulation: In the old-days housewives were seldom the ones to go senile. Looking after a home and its inhabitants gave them enough mental engagement to keep the grey cells healthy. This is true for people with pets. Planning their meals, healthcare and exercise routines on a daily basis is bound to keep you fruitfully occupied during the quarantine and the more creative you are with these tasks, the better.  

Have a sense of purpose: Watching back-to-back episodes of Suits may be fun. For a while. By the third day, it does nothing to give you direction in your life. But if you’ve got a cat, or a dog, to care for, you’re guaranteed the added perk of feeling grounded, purposeful, and motivated. Having a dog or cat is like caring for a child, or an elder, and after you’ve done a few chores for them, cleaned-up after them, you’ll feel more satisfied with your routine when settling down to binge-watch your favourite serials on Netflix. 

Feel secure: Yes, your dog keeps your home guarded. But that’s not the only sense of security we are talking here. Having a pet means long-term emotional security. Most humans are petrified of being alone and, as life gets unpredictable, it is a scientific fact that most humans actually fret about being left alone and miserable at some point in their lives. This could turn into a fear of losing your parents, pressure to stay attached to a partner even if a relationship is not working out, and filling your time with worthless pursuits just to avoid these fears. Having a pet is typically the best way to liberate yourself from such toxic emotions. The unconditional love, and bonding, with a domestic animal drives away all insecurities related to loneliness. 

So if you don’t already have a pet, this could be your cue to adopt one. Just consider all the emotional benefits of having a pet and we’re not even getting into how cute they are!

The writer is Founder-CEO, PetKonnect.

To view the full article click here.