You open your door with great difficulty as you would much rather have already been in bed, binge watching that show you have already seen, at least 3 times, while eating your “dinner” out of a plastic bag (potato is a vegetable so technically crisps are a nutritious meal, right?). You are exhausted and your socks are wet.
Nothing can really make you get out of your gloomy state and the thought of assignments starting to pile up. But right in the moment you feel like giving up, two pairs of sparkling eyes meet yours unexpectedly by the entrance door. It’s your pet who has been waiting for you all day to come back so you could play together.
It’s almost like they have a secret power of which we are unaware
Whether that pet is a dog, a cat or a squirrel, they are bound to lift your mood from 1/10 to happy dancing to “I like it” by Cardi B in a matter of seconds. Just picture seeing the happiness in their eyes when they see you picking up their favourite ball- you would automatically forget about everything else in the world. It’s almost like they have a secret power of which we are unaware.
And it might not be far from the truth as studies show that pet owners are less likely to suffer from depression than those without pets. It has also been shown that playing with a dog or cat can elevate levels of serotonin and dopamine, which calm and relax us.
At the same time, a pet doesn’t necessarily need to be a cat or a dog, as watching a fish in an aquarium can help reduce muscle tension and lower pulse rate (no wonder every dentist has one in their waiting room).
You always have them in your heart- or as the background picture on your phone
But leaving aside the science behind it, we can all agree that there is nothing like the feeling you get when you hold your pet close into your arms; that warm, fuzzy feeling that everything will be alright as long as you have them in your life.
And if you are far away from home, studying for your future, and you cannot see your pet up close, you always have them in your heart- or as the background picture on your phone. And whenever you look at pictures of the two of you together or short videos your family sends you of them being silly, but simultaneously infinitely cute, your face lights up just like on a Christmas morning.
So, next time you feel like life is getting difficult just video call your pet and have some quality time with them while making weird noises in hope of them reacting to them. You won’t regret it!
