My Furry Little Homemakers

It goes like this: in a matter of a month my husband lost his job, I started working what seems like a million hours a week, the girls began the new school year, and we pulled the little guy from childcare – sudden household insanity!

So what did we do? We got cats.

We adopted two-year-old siblings Simo, a fat, playful tabby, and Celia, a shy, little tortoise shell calico.

We are quite aware what some of our friends and family are thinking. They wonder why, when we have a so many things going on and a loss of income, would we take on the additional responsibility of pets.

Why? We needed them a whole lot more than they needed us.

Simo and Celia are great companions to my husband and son when they are home all day, every day. They are playmates for the kids. They are great cuddlers and listeners when we are having a tough day. They even helped the kids forget that we had to cancel our family vacation.

I can’t even tell you how much they have given us already in the three short weeks we’ve had them.

There are numerous studies claiming pet owners are less stressed and less likely to suffer depression than non-pet owners. In her article, “How Owning a Dog or Cat Can Reduce Stress,” Elizabeth Scott, M.S., offers these reasons:
• Pets Can Improve Your Mood
• Pets Control Blood Pressure Better Than Drugs
• Pets Can Help With Social Support
• Pets Stave Off Loneliness and Provide Unconditional Love
• Pets Can Reduce Stress—Sometimes More Than People

I really didn’t need to look that up. Simo and Celia aren’t our first pets. Our family included two cats named Cody and Misti up until two years ago, when we sadly lost them both to separate illnesses within a few months. They had been so important to us and we grieved their loss so much that it took us this long to be ready to welcome new cats into our family.

But we knew it was time now. We all needed each other – it was a perfect match. They are helping us feel quite centered at home at a time when change could have easily overcome us. It is very nice to have a family of seven once again.