For many people, pets are an incredibly important and meaningful source of unconditional love and affection. That's what makes pets especially good sources of support for people dealing with cancer and cancer treatment.
Pets can provide comfort and relief in many ways. Despite their good intentions, concerned family members and friends may at times actually increase your stress and pets can be a welcome antidote. While connecting with other people is vital, sometimes connecting with a pet is just as good, or even better because it is so simple and easy. Unlike people, whose schedules may limit their ability to be with you, pets are with you night and day, and they never let you down.
Caring for a pet is also a reassuring routine, and a reason to get out of bed. The unconditional love and affection from a pet can help transform many difficult emotions. People and their pets become attached in a way that is usually free of complications and totally reliable, without the fluctuations of human relationships.
When your dog or cat jumps on your lap or leans against you to be stroked, your thoughts are quieted and distracted from thinking about cancer. The soft touch involved in petting your companion animal can be relaxing and deeply comforting on both an emotional and physical level.
Physical Benefits to Having a Pet
Your relationship with your pet provides other health benefits as well. An eager, tail-wagging dog sitting at the front door can urge you outside for an invigorating walk.
Daily exercise is important to your health and emotional stability, and walking your dog can be a great way to meet this need. Pets encourage people to be more physically active, even through simple things like feeding them or grooming and stroking them while you sit on the sofa. The companionship of a pet can also buffer the stress and depression that sometimes accompany serious illness.
Your pet is a vital part of your life and can provide valuable support during your cancer experience. This advice will help you sustain that relationship:
- Line up one or two friends, neighbors, or family members who can help feed, walk, and clean up after your pets. Professional pet sitters also perform these tasks.
- Volunteer organizations in some areas are dedicated to helping people with serious illnesses keep their pets. If you need help finding someone, contact the social worker at your hospital or cancer center, or your local humane society.
- Because you may be more susceptible to infections during cancer treatment, try to arrange for someone else to:
o Scoop the litter box daily.
o Pick up dog stool in the yard (you can hire services to do this).
o Change linings in bird cages daily.
o Clean fish tanks.
- When you do clean up after your pet yourself, be sure to wear disposable gloves and/or wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water after you finish.
- If your pet is ill, have it taken to the vet quickly, especially if it has diarrhea.
- Do not touch baby chicks or ducklings, which often carry salmonella.
- People with compromised immune systems should avoid:
o Reptiles such as lizards, snakes, and turtles
o Baby chicks and ducklings
o Exotic pets, including monkeys
If You Don't Own a Pet
If you don't own a pet, having one visit you regularly may help you cope with treatment and recovery. You may also want to "borrow" an older, quiet pet if you're at home most of the time and there's someone helping you care for the animal. Even if you don't care for animals, you may find that caring for your house plants, your garden, or any living thing can be therapeutic.