"Purrfectly Purring: The Emotional Benefits of Feline Friendship"

Let me introduce you to a member of our family. This is "Bally", aka Balance. We were at a friends BBQ when one of the guests daughter was selling kittens. I had been looking for a cat but I was interested in the Sphinx cat (yes, the hairless cat). I had done so much research and had my mind set on them. When at this BBQ our friend Sandra showed us a picture of this cute black and white cat. Max fell in love instantly with him, and to be honest I did too. Look at his picture....this was the picture of the advertisement. Instantly Max said "Its Ying & Yang", we looked at each other and I just said to Max "its up to you".

We decided to go see him and fell in love. His name was "socks" but we had the option to change his name and Max decided to call him "Balance", because he just looked so balanced with his colors. Max knew what he was doing when he named him. This amazing creature also brings balance to our home. As I type this out I feel the need to also mention his sister. When we visited Bally we were offered to take "Peaches" who did not have a home yet. These two kittens have a special story. Before I get into Bally and his healing energy, let me fill you in on Peaches, now known as "Poca" (short for Pocahontas).

Poca joined our family and a couple of months after, she got very ill. She was on deaths door, we don't know what happened but her blood work wasn't registering on the charts and her liver and kidney levels were extremely low. Our vet looked at us and pretty much said she was not going to make it. Both Max and I just looked at each other and started to cry. Here is this little helpless kitten who had adjusted so well in our home. Our vet called every emergency clinic in the near cities and no one had vets on call over night. She was going to require overnight care and someone to keep an eye on her. I was so desperate that I even suggested to our vet that they hook her up on i.v fluids and I would take her home and watch her. Obviously I was grasping at straws, what would I do if something horrible happened? We were told to just show up at an after hours emergency clinic and plead for help. Yes, this is how it was last year, with the lack of staff and vet's (due to covid...ill keep further comments to myself on that topic). We arrived at the after hours clinic and I had to call before entering the building, and they told me that they had no vet overnight. We called every after hours clinic we could think of. Max was driving and I was holding a lifeless kitten. I called Hamilton (who had denied her due to over capacity) and I just pleaded (crying my eyes out), explaining to them that my kitten was lifeless in my arms. The young lady put me on hold and then came back telling me to bring Poca in.

What a relief! They didn't take long, they took her into triage (9pm) and by 11pm the doctor called me and said she was reacting well to the medication and i.v fluids. They informed us that she would probably need a feeding tube ( she was on her 4th day without eating). At home I had to carry her to the water dish and the litter box every time. I asked the clinic to call me at any time (day or night). That night I couldn't sleep and called in at 2am and the vet took my call and said " Poca is eating like a champ and enjoying the cuddles from the staff".

She only spent 36 hours at the after hours clinic, she came home eating, using the litter box and walking better. Two weeks later we took her in for more blood work and the vet looks at me and said " She is one lucky kitten to have you both. Not many would do what you did, most would have euthanized a kitten and not spend a dime". Both Max and I wanted to make sure that we had tried everything for her. The day we visited Bally and were offered Poca, we believe it was because she would not have been given this chance at life, not because we are better than anyone else, it was just that we accepted that it was meant for us to help her continue living. Poca is a healthy kitten, she hasn't grown much and will definitely be smaller than her brother, but that is perfectly ok. She is very shy and hides when people come over but will cuddle on her own terms.

Let me tell you how cats can help you:

Cats have a number of ways that they can help with stress, beyond just providing emotional support. Here are a few additional ways that cats can help you manage stress:

1. Physical Touch: Petting a cat can help reduce physiological arousal, lower blood pressure, and decrease heart rate, all of which can help reduce stress.

2. Play Therapy: Playing with a cat can provide a sense of joy, fun, and relaxation, which can help reduce stress and improve overall well-being.

3. A Sense of Purpose: Taking care of a cat can give you a sense of purpose and meaning, which can help counteract feelings of stress and anxiety.

4. Distraction: Cats can provide a welcome distraction from life's daily stressors, helping you to relax and unwind.

5. Increased Social Support: Owning a cat can help increase social support, as many people enjoy talking about their pets and sharing their experiences.

If I am in the kitchen (its always in the kitchen that he does this), he will meow at me and I will look at him and ask " What's wrong Bally?" he will always come to me and reach up so that I pick him up, and when I do he loves to put his face near mine and cuddle.

When a cat sleeps, it's body releases the negativity that it removed from you. If you are extremely stressed out, they may not have had enough time to release this negative energy, therefore it is stored as fat until they can. Therefore, they will become overweight — and you thought it was the food that you were feeding them! ( I didn't know that either)

It is good to have more than one cat in the household so the burden is shared among them. They also guard you at night so no unwanted spirits can enter the room while you are asleep. That is why they like to sleep on your bed. If they think you are doing fine, they will not sleep that night with you. If there is something strange going on, they will all jump in bed with you and surround you.

If a person comes in the house and they pick up they are there to harm your auric field or are of the dark forces, they will surround you to protect you. If they run up to the person, smell them and want to be petted, I know I can relax. This is why Bally likes to greet people at the door. He is our healer and protector.

Thanks for reading my story about Bally & Poca. Some of you are probably thinking; what about Louie? Louie is our mixed Chiahuahua who was rescued from a puppy mill. He also loves People and I will be posted a blog about him also. Louie needs to work on some manners but stay tuned for his puppy powers :)

He is my morning alarm clock, he will jump on the bed and nudge my hands letting me know its either 6;30 or 7;15, lol. He has a routine and makes sure that I do too. If I ignore him he will come back and nudges my face or gently paws my face. When I am in the studio prepping he loves hanging out with me.

S