The Power of Pets

Most people who have pets will agree that they are a blessing and they quickly become a part of the family. Humans have been living with animals as pets since before the dawn of recorded history. For most of history pets mostly served utilitarian purposes for hunting, protection, foraging, and even warmth. If you’ve ever heard the expression “three dog night” that was referring to a night that was so cold you needed three dogs to sleep with you to stay warm. Which I can totally understand in the days before modern heating. I know I certainly enjoy Lilly’s warmth when she cuddles up next to me in bed. But anyone who spends much time around animals finds that their company meets much more than merely practical needs.

Animals have personalities, quirks, and preferences, just like we do, and we can form deep and meaningful bonds with them. They also aren’t burdened with our level of self-awareness, shame, and guilt and because of that they provide us a beautiful example of what it means to live in the present and to express love authentically. My dog Lilly doesn’t hold back when I come home or when a friend comes over. She’s not worried about looking silly or being cool, she just smothers you with love and affection. But with humans we often withhold praise and affection because we aren’t sure how it will be received or how it will look.

We can learn a lot from our animals brothers and sisters. Ancient shamans would attempt to inhabit the consciousness of various animals to gain insight and wisdom, and today modern wisdom schools often teach similar practices. Sometimes we forget that we too are animals and we suppress and repress our animal nature and instincts. But when we connect with our pets we can reconnect with our own animal nature and integrate that instead of repressing it for it to bubble up in unhealthy ways. Because that’s what happens when we repress things, they always find a way out.

So pets allow us to connect with deep parts of ourselves which often linger in our shadow, but they also give us the opportunity to connect with life outside of ourselves. And since connection is what provides us a sense of meaning, and a sense of meaning is what we all want most, pets can meet our deepest need.

And they can also be a great source of inspiration. Some of my most profound insights have involved my pets. I’ve had epiphanies while playing with my dog and developed patience and forgiveness dealing with my cats. Cats in particular are a great reminder that chaos is inevitable and we need to cultivate resilience to contend with it. In that way, pets give us an opportunity to practice being virtuous as well.

All of those are pretty serious benefits of having pets in our lives and it doesn’t end there! They also remind us to stop and play. To have fun and be silly. In the age of hustle culture, it’s good to remember that play is good for us. In play we develop skills, virtues, and resilience, we get to try out different roles, we build connections, and we gain insight and wisdom.

And, at the same time, they also remind/force us to be responsible. They have to be fed, walked, taken to the vet, given flea medicine, etc. regularly. And that often gets us up and moving and being responsible when we otherwise wouldn’t. For example, I always get two good walks in everyday with my dog which is great for my health and helps build a sense of routine in my day. I also use those walks as triggers to remind myself to do other good habits.

So pets enrich our lives in so many ways. But most of all they are a source of boundless love and affection, and who doesn’t want more of that in their life?

Love,

Justin

❤️🙏☀️