Depression and Your Pets
We all suffer from depression and we know that our pet likes us have bad days from time to time. But do we actually know what our pets feel?
From time to time, we all suffer loss or loneliness and we believe our dogs especially, live in the moment so why would they feel any loss or sadness?
Recently I lost a cat as a result of a devastating accident. Though I didn’t witness it, I can only assume what happened. It was an unexpected loss and because of it, it has caused me great sadness.
We live in our pets energy fields. For those that may not think about it, but our dogs or cats personal energy fields are much larger than ours. So they pick up on our energy; whether it is happiness or sadness. They feel what we feel. Why do you think that a dog may nudge you when you are feeling sad or ill, because they “know” that something isn’t right with us?
So do our pets feel depression based upon our feelings?
The other evening after the loss of my cat, my dog Sherlock attempted to nuzzle me. He tried many times to show some sort of support. But I was beyond “the nuzzle” of a dog to remove my heaviness I felt in my heart, that even now I still feel. He knew something wasn’t right and he made every attempt to remove that burden from my heart.
I have read that dogs or cats suffer sadness from the loss of a human or a housemate; another pet, but can then feel the sadness that we feel? Can they feel the loss of another pet in the home? I am not asking my audience for answers, only to think about it.
Depression is the worst of all “illnesses” to possess. A cold or the flu will fade, it may make us miserable when we have it, but it will pass. Depression is like a dark cloud that hovers over us even on the sunniest days. Some days it may not be as heavy and only be like a fog, but it is still there lingering for that opportunity to wrap us in that darkness and pull us into it like an envelope to be sealed.
When you live alone and have no one other than your pets, and you experience the loss of one pet or in my case, three in eight months, it can be devastating to ones “animal world” let alone ones own personal space sort to say. And yes, I know they feel my pain. They know there is something wrong with the home and the balance it once had.
Why am I telling you this? Because I feel that we need to pay attention to our own personal feelings as they relate to our pets. Our anger, rage or depression affects them. Our happiness affects them. They know when things are good and they definitely know when things are bad.
Because I am so in touch with the compassionate side of my being, which is as a human, I feel the loss maybe deeper than those that may not have pets, or those that even if they have pets may not dwell on the loss of a pet. But when it happens so unexpectedly, it takes a great deal out of ones soul and it dwells in ones heart like a heavy block resting there that won’t be removed by any human hand.
Whether what I am saying makes sense to you or not I really don’t care. Death of a pet affects each of us differently. Since my loss was sudden and unexpected and the way in which my pet died makes it even more heartbreaking and harder to fathom.
Keep in mind, we live in our pets world, they do not live in ours. They feel what we feel. So stress, anger and sadness they are all aware of. They just can’t act it out like we do, or try to smother it with some other substance that they can eat or drink.
I apologize for the topic and the matter it may have been presented. I just want my audience to be aware of their feelings and how they relate in your home and with your pets. For those that live alone and only have pets as companionship, you especially need to stay in-tune to those feelings.
Have a Happy Pet Day Everyone!
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