All over the world, people are staying home to protect themselves and others from coronavirus. For many of us, these are strange and isolating times. But amidst the chaos are our cats, pooches and other furries, ready to divert our attention from the downpour of bad news to their big personalities and cute antics.
Pets help us stay healthy
When you’re stuck indoors, having a pet to while away the time can be a blessing. In fact, many studies explore the health benefits of owning a pet. Some have discovered that dog owners are at a lower risk of cardiovascular disease. Others, that cats can protect us against asthma, pneumonia, and bronchiolitis. But scientific studies aside, pets are perfect little personal trainers and health coaches, rooting for us to wake up early, stay active, make time for power naps and to never, ever miss a walk.
Pets are great company
With their unconditional friendship, our furry pals are the antidote to staying-at-home loneliness. So while you may need to steer clear of family, friends and social gatherings for some time, our cuddly balls of fur give us the companionship we need to ride out the coronavirus crisis.
Not only that, pets also have amazing mood-boosting powers. They can reduce anxiety and lower stress levels as if by magic. We’ve all seen them go to great lengths to cheer us up on a bad day, whether it’s by glueing themselves to you, licking your face or bringing you their favourite toy.
Pets make ‘fantastic’ assistants
Getting stuff done when you’re working from home can be challenging. Although add a cat or dog to the equation and you’re Alice falling down the rabbit hole.
Since we started working remotely, our furry colleagues have taken it upon themselves to ‘assist’ with our daily tasks. How? By crashing conference calls, unplugging laptop chargers, boycotting keyboards and invading our personal space with their snoots, paws and bums. So much so that pet parents across the world are sharing their experiences through Instagram accounts like @DogsWorkingFromHome.
OK, so pets may not help with your workload, but we can’t blame them for not trying!
Pets help put things into perspective
Who better than your pet to give you a reality check? “Virus? What virus?”, “Pandemic? Never heard of him”. Our four-legged friends couldn’t be more unfazed by our global health crisis. And while it’s important to stay connected and informed, watching our pets go about their lives without a care in the world can help us take a break from our daily dramas.
Now more than ever, pets are a constant reminder of what’s most important in life: love, laughter and looking after each other.