A post by Laura Zera this morning, along with a status posted by Jo Cannon: “In psychiatry, whenever we see a depressed patient, we always do a ‘risk assessment’, to determine the likelihood of that person committing suicide. As part of that assessment, we ask the patient what stops them from taking their own life. And do you know what they answer? Do you know what I hear, again and again and again? MY DOG. When I ask people what stops them from committing suicide, they always say: I COULD NEVER LEAVE MY DOG. Oh my GOODNESS how people under-estimate the power of that relationship! Dogs protect property and gardens and buildings, but they also protect people. And so often they are literally the difference between being here and not being here. So God help the next person who tells me it’s “just a dog”. Dogs save lives. We just don’t appreciate quite how many.” reminded me how important our pets are…so I thought I’d tell you about mine.
Rusty (please do not use)
We rescued Rusty from beneath a garden shed, when he was five months old. He was skinny and scrawny and full of fleas and worms, and his pads were scraped and raw. The vet said he wouldn’t have made it past another week or so.
Rusty became my shadow, followed me everywhere, sat beside me and loved me unconditionally.
He only had half a tail, and was the clumsiest creature I’ve ever known, but I adored him. We lost him when he was twelve years old due to kidney failure, but he was my constant companion for those years!
Misty and Raven (please do not use)
We only meant to pick up one cat from the farm – but the owner (who was over-run with felines) placed a tiny black kitten in my daughter’s hand, after I’d chosen the sole grey kitten, and there was no question we’d be going home with two!
These two are sisters, but live in tolerance – eating from separate bowls, sleeping on separate beds and hissing every time they pass each other…don’t know why! Misty is cute, cuddly and chatty, she loves eating and sleeping (all day), while Raven prefers stalking, hunting and adventure out in the wilds. opposites in every way!
Raven and Misty (please do not use)
Roxy (and Dan) (please do not use)
Hubby was brought up with a dog, and asked for a dog (and a motorbike) constantly – he now has both! Roxy became ours at eight weeks, and was my first experience of owning a dog. I was not a fan of canines, always referring to myself as a cat person, but after a couple of weeks reservation I became a fully-fledged dog person and fell head-over-heels for Roxy!
Roxy (please do not use)
She became my companion and I experienced the devotion and complete love of a puppy as she grew up. We laughed at her enormous ears and neurosis, enjoyed playful tussles and wondered at her beauty!
Roxy (and Caitlin) and bubbles (please do not use)
So full of life and love. I can’t imagine life without her, my gorgeous, playful five-year-old!
Roxy (please do not use)
Sometimes we under-estimate the value of our furry friends…they offer us love, companionship, adoration, fun, friendship, education and reason. There is nothing more welcoming than a dog’s wagging tail and leap of happiness when you come home from a hard day! They contribute more to our lives than we realise!
The Last Krystallos 
Oh sweetie – thank you. That made me look at my two furbabies and thank all the gods that I have them. You make me want to post on my lovies too!
Oh wow – that last picture is amazing! I love it when my pups roll on their backs like that đŸ™‚
Wow, that intro from Jo Cannon — just wow. In addition to mental health saviors, I always say that everyone should have a dog or cat and there'd be less war, more peace in the world! Your babies are gorgeous (human and furry). And I love that you adopted sister cats, even though they don't get along! đŸ˜›
I second that, Laura. That post from Jo Cannon is amazing. I know how special my furkids are to me, but never would have expected to hear that from a psychiatrist.I am working with a psychologist on his publishing project just now, and I had some delays on Friday because my 9 month old puppy was sick and needed to be sorted out. When I told him that, he said, "Family comes first." And he's not a pet owner himself, so I thought that was particularly kind of him to say. I told my mother later, "I guess as a psychologist he sees how important people's pets are to them." But now I'm thinking that perhaps he also knows how important pets are to the psychologists and psychiatrists who treat the pets' owners!Thanks for this lovely set of photos, Lisa. Your whole family is beautiful. đŸ™‚
Hi, I found you via Laura Zera's blog post about our furry loved ones. I echo what others said about your lovely family–human and furry. I specialize in conflict mediation and can vouch for the power pets have in changing the emotional energy of a conflict just by getting people to tell stories about them. I sometimes introduce this as (seemingly) idle chit chat before the formal meeting starts. Softens people right up.Jagoda
Oh how adorable! Our apartment doesn't allow for pets, so of course we have only one cat. He does think he is a dog though. I think it is so important to have animals be part of our lives. The love you have for yours made me smile!
You should soooo write a post! I'd love to hear about your furbabies!
That was a candid shot that, amazingly, had all the right light! I love when she flips onto her back…she glances over to see if anyone's noticed, then waits to see if anyone will go and tickle her tum…someone usually does!
It's so true, a look from Roxy can turn a bad day into a good one, and a cat's purr has qualities to calm anyone!
Thanks Belinda, pet's have always been important to me, my dog intrinsically knows when I'm down and is always there for a hug and lick!
You're very right, pets can be an immediate ice breaker, and they easily break down boundaries between people. Thanks for commenting Jagoda!
Thanks Melissa, Rusty thought he was a dog too, just wanted to follow me everywhere!