I have a cat. his name is Oscar Wilde. he just turned 3. he is a Champagne Burmese and has a moderate to loud talking voice which he uses throughout the day. he lets his needs be known; different tone of voice for his diff needs (feed me, pick me up, play with me, etc). he is on a schedual (which i have created and enforced) and he knows that schedual backwards and forwards; when he wants to be fed, his voice is loud and growly and whiny. the minute i ask him if he is hungry, he takes off like a bullet into the kitchen.
he is what is refered to as a “velcro cat,” b/c he will never leave your side. i walk to the bedroom, he walks (like a duckling) to the bedroom. if i am sitting on the sofa, he is on my lap, if i am sleeping, he is deep under the covers with me. if i am on the computer, it is hard to get him from stepping on the keyboard.
how has he enhanced my life? he knows my moods and accomodates them. he seems to know when i am frustrated (usually regarding my out of range BGs ). he knows when i have a cold and will stay in bed with me. he is playful and enjoys certain toys that he plays with on his own, and other toys that require my participation.
all is all, he makes me feel happy, fortunate, and that its okay to not have children (which i deeply regret .) with him, i am a mommy. i am responsible for another being. i feel like a parent might. i feel that my home is complete having him near me. this brings me great joy and gratitude. so, when i am happy, he shares my happiness. when i am down in the dumps, he is there, reminding me that what ever is not going my way, its okay and it will pass.
i know that many of you out there have pets. how do they enhance your lives? (and if you’d like, and it is deffinately encouraged, tell us a little about him/her/them; maybe show a photo )
I believe pets help anyone, D or not. We’ve always owned kitties because they seem to know how to comfort you whenever you need it most. Whether it’s jumping on your lap for cuddles, grooming you, whatever. Not sure how much more cats help specifically for a Diabetic unless they can somehow be trained to sense low BG’s and help you wake up? But pets…whether you’re a dog person or a cat person, really do become children, and family. As such, they’re very important to our emotional well-being.
my cat taranga who is a medium haired tortie. she is cute as can be and doesnt use her voice that much. only at snack time. i got her in 2012. she picked me to adopt her. i got her when i had my older cat calvin as a companion as i was working long hours. calvin was good at picking up when my levels were high or low. taranga doesnt know how to do that but she understands when im in pain. she has enhanced my life in so many ways. im lucky she picked me to bring her home. i couldnt ask for a better cat. she actually helps with my mental illnesses and is my ESA (Emotional support animal). i wished she could sense my sugar levels like calvin did but thats ok. she helps in other ways. she likes to be near me and have her independence at the same time. she is like a toddler. likes to be held like one. she has her own quirks too
i think any animal can help you in many ways if they dont know how to help you with your diabetes
I wish so badly that I could have a pet!!! I’m sure it would enhance my life greatly. Having another living being in my apartment when I get home from work would be so nice. I would prefer a cat over a dog, because I’d feel less guilty being gone all day.
Unfortunately, my allergies are too severe to justify having a pet. I can’t even spent time at family or friends’ homes with pets without getting horribly allergic, even with taking a ton of medication and not petting the animals. It’s probably the thing I hate most about having severe allergies. My brothers and parents are also allergic to pets, but much more mildly than I am, so they own dogs with few problems.
I became allergic to my cat ten years ago and lived with him for three years after that (until he passed away at age 18), and I used to wake up with my eyes swollen shut and would break out in hives and sneeze and wheeze if I picked him up. I’ve reacted to cats on an airplane that were two rows ahead of me, and have reactions if I sit in a seat that previously had an animal. And if I’m somewhere with cats or dogs, like I was over Christmas, I have to get away from the area after a few hours. I also have to immediately wash all clothing when I get home or else I’ll continue to react to the dander on it for days. So I definitely can’t get a cat right now.
Maybe one day my allergies will be mild enough that I could have a cat or small dog and not be constantly sick.
Our house is right there with you Jen. My wife has severe animal allergies, unfortunately she got tested and found out dogs and cats. After our last dog died, we went with the , if you don’t get tons better we will get a dog again, and of course, she got tons better…
We have tried a few times to introduce the hypo-allergenic dogs into our environment, but no dice.
Yeah, in my opinion there’s no such thing as a hypoallergenic dog (or cat). My parents have a tiny Yorkie who is supposedly hypoallergenic, and I still react to him. Same with my brother’s dog, who doesn’t bother my brother (other dogs do bother him) but does bother me. My mom’s allergic to cats, but as long as she doesn’t pick them up she’s fine. I think the “hypoallergenic” myth comes from people with mild allergies who are okay with some breeds but not others or who are okay as long as they don’t snuggle their face in fur. I don’t think it applies to anyone with more severe allergies, unfortunately.
Love my dog! I’m moving my office this weekend so I’ll be able to to take him to work with me! There’s a pic of him on the intro thread I believe.
I agree DM, pets and am grateful there are no allergy issues in our house. I know I am outside walking significantly more because of my dogs. They also do wonders for lowering stress/anxiety!
My St.Bernard puppies almost had a real effect on my D. Yesterday morning the 10 mo. old knocked my charging watch (which I use as my Dexcom receiver) off of the nightstand with her tail, and the baby (4mo.) was there to pick it up and started chewing on it.
Thankfully I got it away from him before any damage was done.
But I just love then both to pieces. Can’t imagine. life without my life’s to take care of.
). he knows when i have a cold and will stay in bed with me. he is playful and enjoys certain toys that he plays with on his own, and other toys that require my participation.
pets and am grateful there are no allergy issues in our house. I know I am outside walking significantly more because of my dogs. They also do wonders for lowering stress/anxiety!
