How do your animals help you with depression?
While I do not have an official emotional support animal I know a few people who do, and I was wondering if we can share our stories to help people understand how animals can help us emotionally. :)
I have two animals, one that lives at my parents home and one that lives in my second home by my college. My dog is named Rall and I love him to bits, he is a royal prince of a dog and is small enough to be carried just about everywhere. He is the best dog for anxiety and depression I think (or at least for me!) He is not afraid if you cry, he will just sit with you until you are okay. He will like your anxiety away because that is what helps him when he is anxious. He just loves and loves and cuddles you until you are his happy person again!
Now my other animal is very different. I recently just got her (7 months now!) and my housemates and I are pretty sure she was abused. She is a 3 ish-year-old calico kitty and we love her... even though she didn't come out from under the bed of her own will until month 4 and peed on our bed (and me while I was sleeping) a total of 8 times. She has had it rough and we have done what we can for her. I know it sounds like she is more of a bother and a stressor than an emotionally helpful animal, but her victories that seem little to you are us seeing progress in someone we never thought would be able to live a normal life with us. Every time we question if we can't give her what she needs or will ever get better- she surprises us by taking another step forward. Her courage and progress give my housemates and I hope that we can also recover from our traumas and insecurities, because if our little Shyshy can be brave so can we!
Please share your stories! <3
@JanahisHere
My pets also aren't support animals, but just them being around helps significantly.
We live in a small, old house with a garden outside, there isn't a lot of space, but atleast it's private.
I have two outdoor kittens(used to have another older cat, but she disappeared months ago and never came back home sadly), they're just common street kittens we adopted after their momcat kept coming back for food. One is dark gray with stripes called Monya, she is quite shy and gentle, and the other is a calico, Munya, who can't seem to understand that she shouldn't steal food or climb tables :))
Aside from simply being adorable bundles of joy to cuddle and play with everyday, these cats are the only reason I ever walk out of the house into the garden, I haven't spent this much time outside, even if it's within my house's territory, for several years. I'm glad to have a reason to just walk out and sit down on a bench to pet my cats.
The calico kitty, Munya, pretty much does what she wants and likes climbing into places she shouldn't be in, though troublesome, there is a good side to that behavior. You see, I have a very hard time waking up, I can sleep up to 12 hours, and if I do, I get awful headaches and feel gross all day. But now (almost) every morning Munya comes into my room and confidently dances on my face until I wake up. Honestly there's nothing better than waking up to fluff and purring all over your head. ^^
I've heard of special support animals before and I never thought that they could be of much help, but having these two ordinary cats around has changed my mind on that matter. They really help brighten up my days.
(Bah, I rambled out a freaking novel welp)
This thread is great! And I love what your family has done for the kitty. Both sound adorable. Take care of yourself!
@JanahisHere
My little bitty dog Max is my best friend companion. He weighs 8 pounds he is a Chihuahua that believes hes a Doberman. He is so fearless. He does not let anyone get to close to me, he is very protective of me. He is always close by me. He can't talk but he understands me well.I Love my Companion
Although they're not as interactive as larger animals like dogs, I had a pet hamster when I was living away from my loved ones. Perhaps it was because she was so small and jittery in the beginning that spending time with her to tame her and teach her how to be calm sort of helped me focus on being calm myself. Seeing her progress and caring for her happiness (yes, hamsters can have happy or sad lives too) reminded me to care for myself as well.
Do they even have depression?
