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Health & Fitness

Emotions and Your Pets

Whenever I’m in a great mood my dog, Lucy Goo, picks up on it.  She jumps up and down, wags her tail, and spins.  She wants in on the party!  My cat, Zacky, purrs and wants a cuddle, and everyone seems to be smiling.  That said, when I’m feeling sad or upset, Lucy Goo and Zacky both seem to sense this, too.  They will lick my tears when I’m crying, and give me extra cuddles when I’m lonely.  Our pets take care of us as much as we take care of them; knowing this is very important.  Keeping in mind how our pets are tuned in to our emotions is an important part of the relationship “owners” have with their pets.  (I put the word owners in quotes, since I actually feel like their moth, and not their “owner.”)

Now, because pets pick up on our emotions, they also tend to have sympathetic feelings to what we are feeling, too.  It’s great to be happy and have your pets rejoice with you, and it’s wonderful to have a warm furry friend sit on your lap and help cheer you up when you’re feeling down.  But there is another emotion that we may not always associate with our pets, and that is anger.  Yes, pets pick up on anger, too.  The next time you feel upset with the world and find yourself tossing things around or on the phone venting or even yelling, take a step back and remember that our pets pick up on this energy.  The emotions of anger scares animals.  You may notice your pets hide and cower when you’re feeling this way.

So, the next time someone or something has you worked up, take a couple of deep breaths and do something to soothe yourself.  One of the best things I do to help calm myself down is to go on a power walk with Lucy Goo.  This makes her happy, and at the end of the walk, I’ve either figured things out, or come to realize the situation wasn’t really that bad after all.  So, from now on, make note now of how your pets behave when you’re experiencing different emotions.  Let me take care of you when you’re sad, let them rejoice with you when you’re happy, and when you’re mad at the world, look into their eyes, and you’ll notice that things really can’t be all that bad since you have the unconditional love of your pet.

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Nicole Bruder, owner of Lucy Goo Pet Sitting.

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