The Companionship of animals. There is a wealth of information and research out there which demonstrates the health and wellbeing benefits of human companionship with other species.
Having a cat or dog, or indeed, any other species to care for, ideally one who reciprocates your love and attention, has a marked positive effect on one’s health and wellbeing.
The necessity to care for and protect your animal companion also permits you to develop your compassion for others – both human and non-human living things. That connection may permit us to come to the realisation that we are fundamentally all equal as sentient beings, but with different attributes, and should be respected and protected as such.
With close attention you will discover (in most instances!) that your animal companion is very much aware and sentient. Simply because they don’t have your language or the same sensory systems as you, doesn’t mean they are not aware- and often they will be aware of many things you don’t have the capacity to sense.
As a cat-lover I am often suddenly aware of how much my cat Tilly knows that I am normally completely oblivious to. (See The Super Senses of Cats | Psychology Today)
Once we have that loving connection with another species who is our pet, it is consequently harder to contort our thoughts into thinking this particular animal is worthy of our respect, care and kindness, but that one is not. Sadly however human beings are adept at making those intellectual contortions to fit their ‘needs”.
Long have we convinced ourselves that animals do not think or feel,and can therefore be ‘inhumanely’ treated and killed without remorse, when the evidence is staring us in the face that they are loving aware and sentient beings just like us.
For human beings and many of the currently existing species on this plant to survive what is now upon us; climate /weather total uncertainty; heat, drought and floods of unprecedented intensity, we need to begin to cherish all the other living things on this planet; to value all our natural world far more than the trinkets we have ingeniously created.
It is a certainty that this is solely what will save us from this new frightening world we have created for ourselves because of our greed.
Other Relevant CTM Posts
A Life in Many Kingdoms: Microbiomes
Other Links
The Super Senses of Cats | Psychology Today
The Health and Mood-Boosting Benefits of Pets – HelpGuide.org
The Compassionate Animal | Greater Good (berkeley.edu)
Dog Superpowers That Humans Don’t Have | Reader’s Digest (rd.com)
How horses perceive and respond to human emotion (medicalnewstoday.com)
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