Animals and their impact on our wellbeing

I used to own a lovely border collie x - they are really intelligent and engaging. He was a good companion to me and very loyal. I miss having a dog. After he passed on the house felt so empty. You never realise how much residence they take up in your life until they go. He had a great life. Lots of beach and nature walks. He was a great little dude with a lovely temperament. I never realised I needed him so much in my life 🙂

He was a very beautiful boy @Former-Member ... and a lovely photo too. Looks like a studio photo. 😃🐶

@CheerBear Thank-you. Yes he was a good little guy. He really loved people and the sentiments he got from others was really nice. I can't afford another dog. I am scared the vet bills will be high like last time. He was seeing a vet every fortnight for injections and I was applying creams on his undercarriage and drops in his ears plus tablets down the back of his throat. I don't have a car either anymore so it would be impossible to get out to ER in an emergency. So for now have decided no dog.

@Former-Member yes it was a professional pet photo day at the coin operated dog wash that my dog used to love in Ferntree Gully. Scrub-a-dub-dog it was called. They had booths where you put your dog and you just put in coins for a step by step clean. You got jetstream shampoo'd water which was deeply massaging, then you got a rinse with plain water also with jet stream and then a vaccuum which sucked up the excess water then a warm blow dry. The dog wash was quite an intensive clean so no wet dog smells - it got right under his fur. I don't know if they are still open, their other outlet in Naree Warren closed down. They could still be going in Ferntree Gully. It was roughly $12-15 a dog wash and it was all DIY. Your dog was ultra clean. My partner and I used to wash him once a month there. But yes that photo was taken by a photographer at the dog wash 🙂

Beautiful photo @Former-Member

Hello @CheerBear , @Former-Member

This is the first time that I have not had a pet, but we have our neighbours pets and our customers pets which I love seeing every week @Bunniekins , @Wanderer

Great idea for a thread. And for all those of you who enjoy this thread, you will probably also enjoy this one:

https://saneforums.org/t5/Looking-after-ourselves/Pets-as-therapy-and-for-our-wellbeing/td-p/114231

Click on the link above to navigate to it.

Sherry 💕🐶🦅🐟😺🐑🐄🐖

Having pets is proven to be very therapeautical. Cat and dog owners have reduced blood pressure and lower stress levels and this must apply to all pets I think.

This was my inside cat Arnold just after my then partner and I picked him up from the local RSPCA. He lived for 17 1/2 years. And was my best friend for many of those years as my partner and I split up 5 years later. He liked beating up our two dogs, fishing pole games, chin rubs and oven-mitt tug-of-war games. Oh and eating grass hoppers when I walked him around the back yard.

And this is Midnight. I put food out for homeless cats ( I'm desexing the females to start with) and she is the only one who comes inside and smooches. She is a small cat but has the appetite of a horse.

Great thread @CheerBear

Gives me warm and fuzzies!!

My dog is asleep in my lap at the moment. Snoring slightly

@Former-Member

He is very beautiful your very lucky to have him in your life.