Adopt a Pet - Animals Make Us More Human

Imagine the following scene if you will. You have three children, the normal energetic kind who are always underfoot, always screaming and always full of life. The moment you set out a meal, they're pushing and shoving to get the bigger share, to get there first, or just pushing for fun. And then, you get a nice fluffy puppy for the children. And you notice the difference immediately. Each time a meal gets set out, each time you give a child candy or something, the children think not of themselves, but of whether Barkley the puppy has had his share. Parents don't often realize this; but when your kids ask to adopt a pet, it isn't just additional responsibilities you need to concern yourself with. Pets can make children learn a thing or two about being kind, being selfless, about caring for another. And they can do this even if they are completely irresponsible when it comes to taking care of the pet's everyday needs.

There are more pet owning families in America than families that don't have a pet (and it's almost an even way split between dog and cat households). Certainly, if you look at it in terms of how much a pet costs and all the hassles that go along with having a pet, it can be enough to dissuade anyone. But the soothing, humanizing influence that pets can be for everyone in the family, whatever time and money you spend when you adopt a pet will be spectacularly repaid.

There are other more tangible benefits that come by you too. Children who grow up in a home with pets grow accustomed (and unallergic) to everything that goes with pets - animal hair, mites, grass (that the animal rolls about in). Animals don't just make you feel good. They make the whole family physically healthier. And of course, a well-adjusted pet makes for better blood pressure and just more Prozac-free happiness. Children, especially, find that a bond with a pet is a particularly valuable one. It's the friend they get to have at home who always understands.

Going out to adopt a pet, make sure you go with a reputable breeder so that your pet is healthy and free of genetic disorders. And try to go with dogs that are known to be friendly with children. Dalmatians and Jack Russell terriers may look really cute; but they aren't really friendly as far as children are concerned. And make sure that you don't go with some kind of fad animal.

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Pets Enhance Human Lives

There are extremely powerful benefits living with pets. That explains why the number of pet owners keeps increasing until now they have reached 69.1 million people in the United States, ranging from childhood through the elderly. One benefit to man I see is that the dog in my home is a dependable, loyal companion. The dog loves man without judgment. This aspect is unconditional love in human life. Pets love man unconditionally. They fill a void when children do not exist in the home with their personalities. A feeling of safety is provided by a dog's presence. Hearing and sight are keener for pets than in man, so their presence of a stranger can trigger barking as a warning. Dog owners from childhood to the disabled, blind, or elderly benefit .

Families grow better children when they have a pet. Taking care of feeding and cleaning up after their pet teaches them responsibility animal behavior and about death. Children must learn gentleness, kindness, and patience. Children develop higher self-esteem and improved social skills. Pets teach how to respect other living things. Pets in the family encourage more physical activity in children, thus boosting their immune systems. Higher immune systems cause better school attendance. Pets help the children to develop better non-verbal communication skills. Pets are safe, reliable confidants to children. These factors cause children to grow up as better human beings.

Pets help you have better health in the following ways. Pets reduce stress and control high blood pressure. Pets motivate owners to owners to be more active and spend more time outside. Pet owners visit the doctor less, since they have a stronger heart muscle, improving circulation. Pet owners have a greater well-being and feel less depression. Pets allow the disabled, blind person to live independently. Pets allow the elderly to be more independent and the handicapped to overcome.

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Add your pet's picture also and tell us how beautiful your pet is. Rejuvenating Solutions also has a special section for herbal pet products the product line to aid the pets if they have ailments. This could be something you buy your pet for Christmas.

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Understanding Human Grief in Dealing with the Death of a Pet

My aunt was a cat lover who lived with us up to the time when I was six years old. She brought in all the strays and tended to them in the spare room downstairs or inside the enclosed porch. I don't quite remember grieving over a pet at that early age, probably because--earlier at the age of three--I had had a fit and cried for days after witnessing a stray dog kill a baby chick. After that incident, my family became overly protective of me.

Later, when my grey tabby cat died, some people made fun of me when I became too sick with sorrow to attend school for a while, even though I was a good student and didn't like missing school. I had other pets in my life during the following decades, but I could neither forget my Smoky nor the disappointment I felt for being misunderstood.

When a human passes away, grieving is understood and even expected. Yet, there is little or no understanding of the sorrow we feel when our pet--to whom we feel as close as or even closer than a family member--dies or has to be put away.

For many people, a pet is not just a pet, but an extension of the person, answering our need of being needed. Our pets provide us with playful companionship, and through their special sensory abilities, they understand and commiserate with our struggles and challenges in life. Pets are therapists in their own right because they deal with us on a one-to-one basis, and in addition, they are the best medicine for the elderly. Taking all this into account, when the bond with a pet is broken in such a sad way as death, isn't it normal to fall apart and mourn?

In the writing site I belong to, there are many animal lovers who sometimes lose their pets. When that happens, the other members listen to the deceased pet's owner, empathize, and then, validate his or her grief. In such a case, or in any other kind of mourning, validation of grief is the most important aid one can give to a friend. Suggesting to the friend to get rest and to take it easy for a while is the next step in the right direction of guiding him to learn to live life without his pet.

When it comes to grieving over pets, children are the most vulnerable. Hiding a pet's disappearance with the hope that the child will forget is the worst thing adults can do, since children can carry inside themselves many hidden sorrows that may taint their lives for a very long time. If a pet is terminally ill and it has to be put away, letting the child know of the pet's condition ahead of time is the correct thing to do. When children feel and express their sadness publicly in a supportive setting, they can accept future losses better.

When a child loses a pet, it isn't a good idea to force another pet on him immediately, unless he asks for it. Otherwise, he may grow up feeling that a loss from a death is not meaningful, and everyone is replaceable including himself.

If you are the friend of a pet owner whose pet has died, send a card or flowers to validate your friend's feelings, and then, spend more time with him. Never ever say that the pet that died was only a pet and he can get another one just like the pet he lost. Instead, let him know you are there for him, should he feel like talking. Encourage him to attend to his personal everyday care. If you hear or know of a pet-loss support group in your area, encourage your friend to attend. If there is one place where misery loves company, it is in such a group.

May you and your pets live a long and happy life.

This article has been submitted by Joy Cagil in affiliation with http://www.PetLovers.Com/ which is a site for Pet Forums. Joy Cagil is an author on http://www.writing.com.