7 Gifts from Our Animal's Hearts to Ours

In order to stay healthy personally and within our community, we must stay connected with the animals, treating them with respect and honor, listening and learning from them on many levels.

Animals know us better than almost any other being on the planet. They see what’s in our minds eye and they feel what we’re feeling. They can get closer to our hearts than anyone else because they get under our defense mechanisms!

Can you imagine how your life would be without animals in it? There would be no one there to greet you enthusiastically when you come home. Just an empty lonely space that isn’t the same with just other people living there….

No animal friends hanging out with you, offering affection and connection. No soft fur to stroke, or beautiful feathers to admire. No furry face there to listen attentively to your problems without complaining or trying to tell you what to do about them… No warm animal bodies offering comfort. No animal games to make you laugh, or excuses to get out and go for a walk.

Would you want to live that kind of life? Wouldn’t it feel kind of dull and empty?

"What is man without the beasts? If all the beasts were gone, man would die from great loneliness of spirit. For whatever happens to the beasts, soon happens to man. All things are connected." - Chief Seattle

It can be so easy to be distracted by all the chores of daily life and even frustrating to deal with various behavior problems when we live with animals.

But please don’t forget to appreciate all the many gifts your animals offer every day.

To get you started counting the many blessings your animals offer you every day, consider these 7 remarkable gifts from their heart to yours.

1. Help with Illness: Are you frequently ill? Maybe you need more quality pet time. Studies have shown that pet owners make fewer doctor visits, have shorter hospital stays and take less medication than folks who don’t have pets!

2. Help with Heart Trouble: Know anyone who has heart trouble or who has had a heart attack? They’ll want to know this interesting fact: dog owners are 8 times more likely to survive for more than 1 year after a heart attack than those who don’t have dogs!

And it’s not because their owners are walking their dogs or exercising more either. Increased survival rates are based on owning a dog, not on any other physical, psychological or social factor!

3. Help with Blood Pressure: Is your blood pressure too high? Before you reach for more medication, maybe you just need to reach for your pet. Interacting with animals helps to lower and balance blood pressure problems, reduce the pain of arthritis, minimize the side effects of cancer, and even helps with Alzheimer’s Disease!!

Petting an animal is soothing to mind, body and spirit. We become more focused on loving and being loved which increases mood improving brain chemicals like serotonin and oxytocin.

4. Help with Weight Problems: Are you overweight? Instead of reaching for a comfort food snack, try reaching for your animal friend, playing a game or going for a walk together.

Dozens of studies link higher levels of oxytocin with lower blood pressure, lower cortisol (the hormone associated with stress and weight gain), more positive social interactions, increased pain tolerance and faster wound healing.

5. Help to Live Longer: Do you want to live the best life you can for as long as you can? Animals can even help lengthen life, and they certainly add to the quality of that life.

In a study of nursing homes, when pets were included as part of the program, mortality rates were 25% lower than at facilities that didn’t include pets!

6. Help with Self Improvement: Looking for a master teacher, love guru or role model? Your animal companions know a lot about health and healing, and living life well. They are great role models.

For instance, they are not bashful about asking directly for what they need or want. They take naps when they’re tired. And they know how to discharge energy through exercise and play. They are following their instincts which tell them how to survive.

7. Help with Fatigue and Depression: Do you feel isolated sometimes from others? Are you spending a lot of time mostly alone or in your own little world? Feeling depressed, fatigued or sad?

Studies have shown that the more true friends and companions we spend quality time with, the less ill, depressed and fatigued we are. If you have a minimum of 10 in your circle of friends, then statistics show that you won’t get sick nearly as often.

Maimonides, the 12th century philosopher and physician said that “if we took care of ourselves as well as we do our animals we would suffer fewer illnesses.”

Notice how much you care for and love your pet. Love and care for yourself at least that much.

Also notice if you’re in some way neglecting your animals. This is also instructive and shows you ways you may be neglecting or mistreating yourself…

Other Beings in our lives serve us by reflecting back to us the lessons we are here to learn. Many companion animals choose to spend their lives attempting to break through our barriers, help us heal and become reconnected with all Life.

They touch our hearts and for that we are forever grateful.