Love from my cat.

[debwill1427]

A psychiatrist suggested that I got a cat nearly 19 years ago, 17 years after my TBI, I suffer from extreme anxiety and depression with frequent intrusive thoughts of suicide. My cat not only gives me responsibility for his well-being, when I don't care about myself, but also comfort when I am feeling extremely distressed and considering and planning suicide. He has certainly saved my life many times and in those times it feels like I am only able to love him and he is the only person who loves me. I believe that pets can be helpful to many people in different ways.

[keeley24]

Pets can be far more than just pets. I’ve always had dogs all my life. My mum had always said we would never get a pup as they are too much hard work. We had an older dog who we’d had from 8 month old. We both wanted another dog but my mum didn’t think our older dog would accept another adult dog. So she gave in to me wanting a pup on the condition I looked after the pup so pretty much the pup would be my own dog which I took out looked after and everything. It was close to my 21st birthday so my mum got me a pup for my 21st well it was 3 week after but classed as late present. I did everything with this pup if I went out he came. I took him training and agility on long walks. Sadly as he was with me most of time he was with me when I had my serious car accident, wasn’t fastened in so got thrown out of window and hit by another car. 5 years on this was and is by far the worst thing to happen and always will be. Everything else about it happening has turned out for the best. I have near enough got back to normal and joined a BI group that is helping me.

I have since got a new dog who will never replace the one I lost but has been the one thing to help me move on and means more to me cos my nan got him for me and she died the year after. So now my dog is like the last thing she got me and the day I got him is the last good memory I’ve got of her as she was diagnosed with cancer soon after I got my dog then she went downhill from there.

[charlieab in reply to keeley24]

Hope things go well with your new dog.

[charlieab]

Your post made me smile (a rare commodity atm). Glad that your cat has helped. Since getting ill, divorced, moving away from friends in London, Ive been feeling a bit isolated and thinking about a pet. Ive put in an offer on a flat next to the beach which would be good for walking a dog. But Ive got pretty severe tinnitus (8 plus loud noises blasting in my head evry waking moment) and am a bit conncerned that a dog barking would not help. So I just need a dog which doesnt bark!

Or maybe a cat. But I guess you cant take a cat for a walk (you would carry the lazy wee thing in a basket!). Do you think its posisble to have a cat in a flat? It would be the third floor. It does have a so called "sun terrace" but I guess a cat might climb onto the railings and fall off? Writing this I realise that I dont know much about cats. Neither ex-wife wanted animals in the house and didnt always want husbands in there either!

Anyways, any info on whether getting a cat in a flat makes sense would be appreciated.

[CH56Twin]

My cat is the runt of the litter and was found as a kitten wandering around Derbyshire with no home or mother cat to care for him. He is a bit stupid and gets picked on by other cats but we love him dearly. He doesn't know how to clean himself properly as was not in the company of his mother to be taught, but he just about gets by. Until recently he had next doors bruiser of a tom cat protecting him from other cats, but sadly he has been re-homed . So our little moggy spends his days avoiding other cats and hubby and myself chasing the aggresive cats away. He is a delight and very much loved by myself and hubby. His level of purring is out of this world. Lucky us! Extremeley therapeutic.

Clare