How do we relax and let the stress fade away? With the constant needs of a career, kid(s), cat boxes needing cleaned, and dogs needing let outside, it can be hard to find a minute to take a break and let our parasympathetic nervous system do its work.
There are a few ways I let go and let the dog help me relax:
1. Petting my furry friends
2. Looking at furry creatures on the internet.
Check out my 8 favorites below.
1. Petting Furry Friends
Having dogs or cats to come home to can add years to your life, according to psychology; along with other great things like having regular sex, flossing daily, and not drinking soda.
Unless you’re this guy:
Find the original video of this guy petting his Chihuahua posted on the Daily Mail’s Facebook page.
2. Looking at Furry Friends on the Internet
The second way I de-stress is to look at animals on the internet. Some of my favorite websites are listed below.
2(a). Fort Wayne Animal Care and Control
Looking at sweet, adoptable pets on the internet calms the nerves. A couple of my favorite websites to look at are local adoptions shelters, like Fort Wayne Animal Care and Control’s website.
I still can’t get Larry the Chihuahua out of my head. He was listed on the FWACC website over a year ago; I hope he found a good home.
2(b). Allen County SPCA
My other favorite local adoption site to peruse is the Allen County SPCA website. Right now, they have 39 adoptable cats and 18 adoptable dogs on their site.
Right now they have a frisky-looking kitty going by the name Rocket Raccoon!
2(c). Petfinder
Since the death of my Betta fish, Apollo, I have been looking for an adoptable fish. I could go buy another Betta at a pet store, but I can’t stand the thought of contributing to the exotic pet industry. Betta fish are shipped over from Asia by the thousands (many die on the way) and then forced to live in a couple cups of water until they are bought or die.
(A note about Betta fish: they should NOT be kept in tiny tanks. They need at least 10 gallons for keeping one to be considered even remotely ethical.)
The national Petfinder website has a Scales, Fins & Other section I peruse often looking for a slimy companion. Right now, the closest scaley friend is a goldfish named Phil, living in Mishawaka, Indiana.
2 (d). Cat vs. Human
For lovers of cats, comics and humor, I recommend visiting the Cat vs. Human website. It has comics made by the talented illustrator, Yasmine Surovec. I bought the book Cats vs. Human for my 10 year old boy last year and we ended up purchasing her second book, as well. He reads it repeatedly.
Plus, she posts new comics on the website periodically.
2 (e). My Facebook Feed
My friends are so great. They post so many pictures of their cats and dogs, plus other super funny videos and gifs of other people’s cats and dogs. I recommend finding great friends who post funny pictures of animals.
2 (f). Cat People Press
You need go no further. One of the BEST places to laugh and look at cats on the internet is right here at Cat People Press! One of my favorite is this guy: Birthdays Can be a Bloody Mess greeting card. Buying greeting cards to share with your friends and family is a much lower commitment than adopting your seventh kitten.
