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Interacting with Pets

When older people get lonely, interacting with pets can be a game-changer.

We have published a couple of articles on this topic in this space, but recently, an item on Reddit makes this point more poignant than any I have seen.

The thesis is that responsibility keeps one more aware and engaged with life.  Having companionship changes your mood significantly and wards off loneliness.  Loneliness can lead to depression and other health risks.  And it is not much fun.

Sharing his Pets with The Neighbor

The writer wrote about his experience sharing his pets with his neighbor in a heart-warming way; it is presented here in full.

“I went on a vacation two weeks ago and let my neighbor, Robert, babysit my pets. Shortly after I got back home, I received this letter from him in the mail that made me smile and cry. I’d like to share it here.”

Good afternoon,” the letter begins. “This letter is regarding your vacation two weeks ago, and how you let me babysit Smokey, Oreo, and Jennifer. I’d just like to give you a letter of thanks.”

(The letter doesn’t specify what kind of pets Smokey, Oreo, and Jennifer are, but the original poster later shared that they are a German shepherd, “the crankiest little beagle you’ve seen in your life,” and a cat named Oreo.)

Then he continued:

“As you know, I’m an old man. You don’t see me outside often anymore, as these joints aren’t as lively as they used to be. To add to that, two years ago, in the midst of the pandemic, my dad got diagnosed with stage four colon cancer. After his death, I was left alone in my home. I don’t have a wife or kids. I could go to sleep one day and never wake up again. Every day is just sitting around and wondering what I have done for this world.

Until I met Smokey, Oreo, and Jennifer.

Your pets are the cutest, funniest, and most troublesome (In a good way, don’t worry, they didn’t mess up my house too much!) individuals. They gave me the motivation to restart my life again. I started waking up early in the mornings. I began to take walks outside with your pets for the first time in years. Every 10 minutes, whenever I felt sad for a second, they would bark or rub against my leg and make me laugh.

The highlight of their stay was when I took them to the park. It was the longest time I’ve spent outside in a while. It didn’t just bring back pet interaction, I also met other people, started talking, and made friends with a handful of fellow human beings. I was so happy to finally be able to talk with friends again, interact with others, and feel like I’m part of the human race.

I realize I sound very existential right now, but I’m telling the truth. It’s nice knowing that I’m doing something for someone, even if it’s my neighbor.

I adopted two dogs soon after. (You may have been hearing noise from my home, pardon them!) I now take regular walks to the park with them and talk with friends I made there. Anyways, I’d just like to say: thank you so much. You brought back meaning to my life. And that’s all that matters.

Sincerely,

Robert

Could there be any testimony for a senior to have a pet better than that?