Posted by Gwyn MacDonald
It all started with a text message sent to Judy last week. I was in the midst of week two of a mean cold. Judy was checking in to see how I was faring or if I was being smothered by the mountain of tissues that comes with such a cold. UGH!
I responded that “ Nurse Lewie is on the scene. Catnip mice are very healing!”
“haha! That’s a good blog post, lol” Judy returned… and so it is!
Even though I was feeling lousy, I did my best to play chase the string, bouncy ball and all sorts of other foolish but fun things to entertain this sweet little kitty. I improvised a bit while lying in bed or on the couch, but she tolerated my lack of energy and raised my spirits with her silly cat antics. Snuggling at my feet, purring like crazy and generally keeping this miserable soul excellent company was healing for sure. Lewie may not have “fixed” my cold, but I’m sure her presence dropped my stress/anxiety level about missing work (and feeling guilty about it!) and just feeling yucky in general and probably gave my immune system a much needed boost with all of the giggling and snuggling.
If you have pets you know how healing they are. Loads of research out there on how stroking a pets’ fur lowers anxiety levels and provides a sense of calm and stability especially to folks that are older, alone and /or very ill.
So here’s to the Nurse Lewies of the world! A hearty thanks to our furry friends!
