August 15, 2024 • 31 mins
Recovering from an injury is, more often than not, isolating. Some people reach out at this time for companionship from an animal, a friend who can give comfort and love when the world seems all too hard.
So what is the best pet for you and how do you go about choosing your new lifelong companion?
Dr Caroline Howe is joined by hosts of the upcoming Yap and Yarn podcast, Nursed Angie and Dr Reiko for a fun chat about pets as therapy and finding your perfect non-human companion!
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
S1 (00:01):
Hello and welcome to the My Social Support Network podcast,
a series to guide you along the path to recovery
while on workers compensation. In this series, we will answer
questions from you and provide information from experts and people
with lived experience currently going through worker's compensation and those
who have made their way to the other side. Through
these interactions, we'll be giving you tools, advice, but most importantly,
(00:24):
encouragement on what can be a stressful time when you're
also recovering from an injury sustained in your workplace.
S2 (00:31):
I think it's the unconditional love that they give you.
You're less likely to feel, you know, really sad and
lonely because you do have someone else there that loves
you no matter what.
S3 (00:41):
The one thing that Covid has taught us is the
importance of social connection. But what it is layered on
even more is that animals allow us the opportunity to
have a really uncomplicated relationship. It allows us to get
that emotional connection, it allows us to feel supported. And
when you are recovering from injury, there's nothing nicer than
(01:02):
having a little puppy or a little pussycat. Come and
sit on your lap and say hello. So today we're
going to be talking to Nurse Angie and Doctor Raiko
from the Yap and Yan podcast, and they are going
to take over today's session. So just strap in and
just get excited about the conversation about how we can
use pets in recovery.
S4 (01:23):
Thanks, doctor. Caroline. I'm Angie.
S2 (01:26):
What a great intro. I'm Doctor Reiko. Lovely to meet everyone.
S4 (01:31):
Pets and coming out and using them in a recovery.
For me, I've had some recovery stories. I've had two
ACL reconstructions two years apart, and they are both six
month recoveries of lying down, little movement and resting my knees.
And I had my cat and my dog by my
(01:54):
side the whole time. Um, the use of pets is
very handy in that situation because they have an uncomplicated
relationship and you feel instantly connected to them, and if
you feel connected to something, you can cope a lot better. Ricco,
how does your cheeky cat amico help you in day
to day?
S2 (02:15):
Well, she provides entertainment obviously. Um, I haven't had such a,
I guess, substantial injury, but I guess over time in
the profession that we're in, um, I have definitely developed injuries.
And even through vet school, I injured my left wrist
from the continual writing and just all the things that
(02:37):
you have to do as a vet, surgery, whatever. Um,
and then I had to start I started doing physio recently,
and then I also have to do remedial massage like
every 2 to 3 months because of the fact that
our job is. So it's a lot of like heavy lifting,
lifting animals, sometimes very unpredictably lifting animals like, you know,
it's not like a static thing that doesn't move where
(02:59):
you're just lifting a box. It's like flailing arms and
like all these other things that you sort of aren't
accounting for, um, that can really injure, you know, shoulders, whatever.
And I went and saw my remedial massage person and
she was like, you cannot be lifting things on your
own anymore because you've injured your shoulder, essentially. Um, good
(03:20):
thing she's not super heavy because, you know. No, she's, um,
that's the cat. She's right. Yeah, yeah. Emiko is my cat.
She's a two year old little baby. Um, she's. Yeah.
She's great. She just provides me with endless entertainment and
fun times. And, you know, she's great.
S4 (03:36):
You know, I also have a cat and a dog
at home. And I was going to tell you about
this the other day, but I thought I'd save it
for the podcast because something just flipped in. Marshmallow, aka marshall.
I like to say marshmallow is his stage name and
that's my cat. Marshall is his, you know, on his
birth certificate, His normal name. I was lying down in
(03:57):
the sun yesterday, and Marshall decides to get on in
on the sun action, but then latched on to my
arm and I was flailing him around and had to
flick him off, arms and mouth on my arm and
(04:17):
digging in. And I think it was because I was
on the yoga mat and he wanted to be on
the yoga mat.
S2 (04:23):
I just think some cats are funny, and he does
that every time I need to take a shower, or
she'll just come in and attack my ankles to bits.
I've got scratches all over my ankles. I don't know
what's going on. The only time she does it is
when I am walking into the bathroom. That's it shreds
my ankles.
S3 (04:40):
So let me ask you girls a question. What do
you see as the therapeutic benefits of having a pet?
S2 (04:46):
Cats and dogs. I think it's like the unconditional love
that they give you, right? You could have, like, a horrible,
terrible day. You come home. They're just very, you know, simple.
They just want food. They just want to cuddle or
they just want to be around you, and then that's it.
And then that's all you need. You know, they just
sit on your lap, purr or, you know, butter sticks
(05:07):
his head on your lap and you just give them
a pat. You know, that sort of unconditional love or
whatever you want to call it is, is probably what
is quite helpful. And, you know, scientifically, you know, we
all know that there are studies out there that do
show that people who have animals, they tend to live longer,
they are happier in their lives. They are less likely, perhaps,
(05:28):
to be depressed or feel, you know, really sad and
lonely because you do have someone else there, perhaps not
a person, but another living thing in your house that
you have to take care of that loves you no
matter what, you know, without any conditions. Um, and I
think that can be really helpful in that sort of
emotional and psychological way, more than just like the physical
(05:52):
aspect of having an animal in your house.
S4 (05:55):
There was also a study recently with the physical act
of purring from a cat, and how that, like, brings
out endorphins and things for people, and just having the
fur on your chest or on your lap, like wherever
they're sitting, that can be really therapeutic for people. And
(06:15):
if you've had a bad day, having a cat purring
is so beneficial that now they've created toys like a
little cloud or things that vibrate, you know? So it's really,
really nice. We've had a question come in from one
of our listeners just a.
S5 (06:30):
Little further on what you were just talking about. Um,
I think it's it's well accepted that, you know, hugging
puppies and kittens and whatnot. Um, uh, does give you
a beautiful endorphin hit, and, and it makes you feel
good all around. You know, it lasts long after the
hug is finished, but can I just say I've recently
(06:51):
had photos of my son and his family who have
moved rurally, and they were at an emu farm at
a place called the Rock, and the new chicks have
just hatched and they were there cuddling new emu chicks.
And my son said to me, mum, it was just
(07:11):
the same good feeling as you get from hugging puppies. So, um, yeah,
I don't. It expands right through the animal kingdom. You know,
the closeness of an animal to a human is a wonderful,
wonderful thing.
S4 (07:27):
So true.
S3 (07:28):
The one thing about animals is that they've got this
ability to create a really safe relationship with you. So
if you've got a psychological injury, it helps allow you
to have probably one of the first safe relationships that
you can have. And you're right, it's really uncomplicated type
of relationship. If you're sitting at home and you don't
(07:48):
have a pet, How would you go about trying to
find the right pet for you? Like, is it a cat?
Is it a dog? What type of dog? And is
there a way of being able to explore what the
right type of pet for you might be? Well, I.
S2 (08:02):
Definitely have thoughts about that. I guess depending on the
type of animal. So for example, using myself as an example,
you know, I have I have a cat, I don't
have a dog, I don't have a dog for a reason.
My lifestyle does not allow for a dog. I do
travel relatively frequently, a couple times a year. It doesn't
(08:23):
necessarily need to be overseas, but enough to say that
having a dog wouldn't be a good idea because then
you have to find someone to look after them. You
can't really leave them alone, even for a 12 to
24 hour period. So you do have to think about,
is it something? Where do you a do you travel
a lot for work maybe. Um, do you have enough
time to take your animal out for walks? So dogs, right. Dogs.
(08:44):
You need to take them out. They need exercise, you know,
all that sort of stuff. Cats don't necessarily require exercise
in the same way, but you still need to have
time to play with them, provide them with enrichment and
things like that. Um, obviously, you know, in a way,
of course, you know, cats are easier to look after
because you don't need to take them for walks. They
can be alone for certain periods of time without you there.
(09:06):
And there are ways of looking after animals without adopting
them and having that full responsibility. You can do fostering.
I fostered Emiko before I got her for a couple
of weeks, just to make sure that she was the
right fit for me and that I was the right
fit for her because, you know, God forbid you adopt
an animal and you then you find out afterwards that
they're not the right fit, and then you have to
(09:27):
give them back. Right? You don't really want to be
doing that sort of stuff. Um, so fostering is an idea.
That's always something that you can do most places. RSPCA,
whatever it is, will allow you to do fostering. I
even think that they foster guinea pigs and rats and
things as well, I don't think. I think that's also
an option too. If you would like to have a
small mammal rather than cat or dog. Pocket pets like
(09:49):
my sister, for example. She has rats. Like rats are,
you know, and she doesn't have a cat for a reason.
She doesn't. She can't quite doesn't quite have the ability
to to do that. Birds. Things like that. You can.
I'm sure you can foster a bird. I've never really
heard of people fostering birds or reptiles, but I'm sure
that you can do that because you can still adopt
them from the RSPCA. So adopt a fostering is the
(10:11):
idea or looking after someone else's animal, you know, pet
sitters and get paid to do it too.
S5 (10:16):
Um, in 2020 I suffered a rather severe mental breakdown.
So at the end of that two weeks, when I
kind of started to become a bit more, um, conscious
of of my surroundings and myself, I realised that I
was really, really unwell and, um, I was on my
(10:38):
own and I'm a planning type person, and I thought,
we need to have a plan. So I had a
three point plan. Get a pet so that you are
not alone and you have someone to get out of
bed for, because otherwise I could see myself just never
wanting to ever get out of bed, let alone leave
(10:59):
the house. Um, and, uh, get a psychologist if you're
comfortable with that. And I started yoga as as as well. Um, but, Tilly,
she has been such a support to me. You know,
pets are very intuitive. There's. I still went through plenty
of days where I couldn't get out of bed, and
(11:21):
she always seemed to know whether it was okay. It's
a day to go harass mum. So she gets up
or it's a day to curl up next to mum
because she needs to, to to just rest and and
and repair. Um, and she has been endless hours of entertainment,
as you said before. Rico. Honestly, she makes me laugh
(11:44):
so much. It's just ridiculous. And she is just the
center of my universe. My adult children are very jealous
of her and they. My daughter said to me, mom,
I swear you love that cat more than you love me. Mm. But, yeah, I,
I truly don't know where my journey would have gone
(12:08):
if I hadn't been able to open up and and
get a pet. And that was the other thing. I
was very, very lucky. I was living in rented accommodation
at the time, and my landlord was very supportive. Um,
and that's, uh, another topic that that is, is really
kind of dear to my heart. The fact that so
many people suffering mental health issues in rental properties are
(12:31):
not able to have a support pet. And I saw
my son. Um, he he could have really, um, uh,
benefited from, from a from a dog or whatever. He's
now got a cat. I never thought he'd be a
cat person. But again, that that that little animal is
a huge. Means a huge amount to him and his well-being.
(12:53):
How did.
S4 (12:53):
You choose.
S5 (12:54):
Tilly? Okay, so that's another really important thing, I believe. Rescue. Rescue. Rescue. Rescue.
Adopt a dog. Adopt. There's so many puppies and and
kitties out there. Just waiting for a forever home. Um,
and I adopted from the RSPCA, and they were. They
(13:14):
were absolutely wonderful. So they. She came. Um, desexed and
microchipped and all that. And there is a fee, but
it only really covers the vet costs anyway, so. And
she was registered. I didn't have to do anything except
put her in a little carry thing and take her
home and start loving her.
S3 (13:34):
The RSPCA also has a special service where if you
suddenly find yourself in changed circumstances So you're unable to
look after your pet because you've had to move. You
might find yourself without a home to live in. They
will take the animal in until you get back on
your feet, so you don't have to surrender the animal.
(13:54):
The RSPCA will support the animal until you can afford
to take the animal back, which I think is really wonderful.
A lot of people feel the stress at having to
then get rid of their their beloved animal, as well
as have this event. That means that they feel like
they are very unsupported on this.
S4 (14:12):
I actually did my honors project on interviewing people who
just adopted from the RSPCA. So whether you adopt from
the RSPCA or various other shelters, the price is very
affordable and you can get a really beloved pet from
these shelters. I interviewed them all and they had to
perform a questionnaire at the end of one week. Mark
(14:35):
three month mark, six month mark about their expectations for
that adoption and how it was going. So I kind
of focused on the canine aspect and dogs, because dogs
can be very overwhelming for people, especially coming out of
an RSPCA environment. They've got a lack of sleep, so
they're quite hyperactive and it takes them a couple of
(14:57):
weeks to come down from that. So the study involved
seeing how if the one the people actually kept the
animal and didn't return them, and two, if, um, if
they were settling in well and you know, it, it
took them some time. It wasn't until maybe the more
(15:17):
the six month mark that people actually felt more connected
to their pet because they had to give it time
to really settle in. Whereas, um, that's the good thing
about fostering too, is you can foster and get things
out of the shelter environment, get them in a home, um,
straight away and get them used to home life. And
that's what Caroline's doing now with Golden Retriever Rescue. She's
(15:41):
got a foster puppy, and her first night was terrible.
S3 (15:46):
If someone does choose an animal and they're having an
issues with them in settling in, do you have any advice?
S2 (15:52):
It depends. You know, as Angie just said, with dogs
it can be different from cats. I think adopting a dog,
even fostering a dog. I think when you bring a
dog out of that shelter environment and you know, previously
they could have had, you know, an abusive home, perhaps
somewhere that's not really conducive to having pets. So they
have that background trauma as well, and it can be
(16:12):
more difficult for them to settle into a normal home,
so to speak. I think some of the non-profits, not
all of them, some of them have things in place
to sort of help the dog settle in, whether that
is training or other things like that. I know that
the RSPCA, they do have behavior analysis and behavior training
before they even leave the shelter. Of course, that doesn't
(16:36):
mean that as soon as they leave, that they'll be
perfect and that they will be able to automatically, you know,
adapt to their new environment very quickly. If we're going
to use this as an example, like me as a
vet in GP, I would see I have seen a
lot of patients, a lot of dogs who were recently adopted.
The owners are struggling with their anxiety and the behaviors
(16:57):
that the pet then has in their new home. And
so sometimes you know the recommendation, you know, you don't
really want to be jumping straight to medication. A lot
of owners really want to jump straight into anti-anxiety meds
and just doing that. And then sometimes it really is
about having to help them with that, you know, human
animal bond where they are, then getting an appropriate trainer,
(17:19):
someone who can help with adjusting the animal to the
to the home and doing things like that because it
is really difficult for the animal and the new adopter. Um,
and then sort of going on from that. So sometimes
the behaviors are just anxiety. They're anxious in the new
home and that's it. It's not necessarily a fear, aggression
or anything like that. It's just that sort of stuff.
(17:40):
And sometimes it can become other things. So you're just
sort of having to provide owners with the knowledge that
it is a step by step process. It's not something
that will happen overnight. As you said. You know, most animals,
they go home. It's only within the first six months,
if not later than that, where they start to feel
an actual bond and, you know, you sort of have
to make sure that you're managing the expectation that you're
(18:03):
going to have to keep coming back to the vet,
you're going to have to keep coming back with that
either behaviourist or trainer and keep working on it like
you really have to work on it the same way
with a human that has anxiety or whatever sort of
emotional or mental health issue. You sort of you have
to go see your therapist, you have to go see
your psychotherapist, psychiatrist, whoever it is, and you have to
keep working on it. It's not something that will go
(18:25):
away with like one consult or one visit or, you know,
that sort of thing. So you have to continue that,
I guess, in terms of how does how does anxiety
and stress show up in animals and you would know
this as well. Of course you know it shows up.
It can show up. As you know. Perhaps they're just scared, right?
It's different.
S4 (18:43):
Very different markers for dogs and cats, you know. So
we could be really specific here. So if I focus
on the dog ones and you think of cat ones Rico.
So dogs, if you just see them and they're stimulated
by something that might make them feel anxious and they
haven't been running around or anything, they could be panting.
(19:03):
So if they're not doing any exerting activity and you
see them panting, that is a sign of anxiety in
a dog, their wide eyes. So maybe they we kind
of call it like the when you see lots of
the white of their eye, that's a sign of anxiety.
Their ears are pinned back, their tail might be tucked
under their leg. That's a really obvious sign. Just the
(19:25):
fact of them kind of freezing in action might not
necessarily mean they want to freeze and have a pet.
It actually is just freezing from fear. So there's a
lot of different markers that are quite specific, like lip
licking as well. When they bring their tongue and they
touch the nose, that's also another marker as well. So
(19:47):
it's really important to kind of know these anxiety markers
in your pet. Then you can sort of change the
way you act around them too, to try and make
it feel more lovely. Based on just pulling back a
bit to the fact that pets can come from trauma,
it's a pretty big misconception there. It's not necessarily that
(20:07):
they're coming from an abusive household, and some can be,
but it's more the fact that they just missed their
socialisation period. And with key socialisation periods for cats and
dogs say there's a bucket that they've never seen before,
(20:27):
a dog or a cat. If they see that bucket,
they've never seen it before within their socialization period. If
you have a neutral or good response to that bucket,
they just move on with the rest of their lives
and go, oh, it's a bucket. No worries, I'll keep going.
But if they've never been exposed to that bucket before
in that socialization period, they're going to be freaked out
by that bucket. So when the next time they see it,
(20:50):
they want to run away from it. So that's the
same thing. Then they might start panting, lip licking, doing
all those things I express because they've just never seen
that bucket before. And you might have some specific cat ones.
S2 (21:01):
For cats, it can be a little bit more subtle.
Obviously everyone knows the main ones where it's sort of,
you know, ears pinned back, perhaps they're hissing. Um, perhaps,
you know, they've got their haunches up, so they've got
their fur standing up on end, um, and that sort
of thing, or their tail sort of up and over,
you know, the main sort of aggressive sort of signs
that's more of that can be fear and aggression. But
(21:25):
the other things that cats can do is they can
sort of like cower. They just like they freeze. They
sort of pancake on the table. Perhaps they're not moving
as much, whether that's in a vet situation, a vet scenario,
or at the home. And for the first time, you know,
maybe they're hiding a lot. They sort of are trying
to stay away from human contact or any sort of contact,
(21:46):
or they are they're hiding. Some some cats like to
hide in, like really high spaces and they feel, um,
a lot more confident. They feel better, less stress, less
anxious at the top of a shelf or in a closet.
You know, it's more so, things like that, I guess,
in a sort of vet scenario, it would be, you know,
when you bring your, your cat to the vet clinic,
(22:07):
what they really want to do most of the time
is jump around, run away, perhaps hide in the sink,
go in the shelf. Um, or they immediately start hissing,
or they try to cower in the corner. They try
to hide behind the computer, you know, things like that.
It's still the same sort of basic principles of what
you're looking out for. People sort of have started to
learn that the way that a cat moves their tail
(22:29):
is something that you are observing for how their behavior
is or how they're feeling.
S5 (22:34):
When I first got Tilly, she had just been desexed,
so they said to me to keep her confined in
the bathroom for a little while, try to stop her
from jumping up.
S4 (22:44):
I know we say that and I'm like, it's so hard.
S5 (22:48):
Like, that's just not possible. I think actually confining her
in that, in that smaller space. And of course, I
was in that bathroom with her for a good portion
of the time. Um, so here we were, both in
a bathroom. Um, and, um, I think it was a
good way for her to actually feel, I think cats
like that confined feeling sometimes, because I live in a
(23:12):
very small place of two rooms, and she finds places
to hide that you would not believe. So, yeah, her
her stress was not so bad when I got her. Um,
she's always been a bit timid and frightened of loud
noises and things like that. Um, but, uh, it was
just really her and I even though there was someone
(23:32):
else living in the house, they were not there very often,
and it was just her and I. I think if
you've got the time to really spend it with them, unless,
of course, they give you the feeling that they wanted
to be left alone. I mean, I knew when, when,
when we'd be sitting in the bathroom when she was
ready to, um, you know, go to sleep or whatever. They,
(23:53):
they very subtle signals that they give out. But as
for other stressful things, when her and I moved house,
she found a cupboard. And she stayed in that cupboard
for two days.
S4 (24:06):
Moving house. Very traumatic for the cats world.
S5 (24:10):
Absolutely. And she'd never been outside because I'd come from
a four bedroom house, and I was actually training her
to walk on a harness and lead. Um, but when
I moved, I felt that I had to let her wander.
And I actually live in a place that is not
the same kind of traffic as you would get on
a normal residential street. But now she's got a cat
(24:31):
netted backyard, so she goes out to have a little
poke around for half an hour. If I'm home. But
the majority of her time now is spent out there.
The next stressful thing that happened was the first time
I went away. I wanted someone from my family to
come and stay at my place, but at the time
it wasn't possible anyway. My daughter came as often as
(24:52):
she could and I said to her, she's not going
to be happy because her and I were together 24
over seven. The first time I actually went for a
trip to Sydney and I was away all day, she
was like, what the hell? When I got home, it
was like, where have you been? So my daughter, I
had said to her, this is not going to be
(25:12):
easy because she said, mum, she's a cat. She'll be fine.
I said, yeah, but she's not, she's not going to
be fine. So after that first episode, um, my daughter
in law had found a kitty cat hotel not far
from home. She seems to love it there, so it
makes it easier for me because I can travel and
not have to worry too much, you know?
S4 (25:34):
It sounds like you overcame them with Tilly. And I guess.
S3 (25:38):
That kind of leads to that question. You know, when
animals need socializing, what are like the 2 or 3
top tips that people could do other than get a trainer?
But if you've got a cat, you know, that's a
probably a little bit different. So is there anything helpful
out there for someone on how to socialize a brand
new kitten into their forever home?
S2 (25:56):
Kittens are easy. We'll put this in quotes like kittens.
They still depending on their age, you can still socialize them.
As in, you know, either they're interacting with other people's
cats or they're interacting with dogs. And it's just, you know,
something that you can do. I think it's more difficult
when they're older. And I do have experience with socializing
older animals. My first cat I got, she was nine
(26:18):
and I was like 13, and she had already been
in a previous home. And when we got her, it
was because the previous owners new kid was allergic to cats.
So either she came to us, or she probably would
have gone to some sort of a shelter. And because
she was a senior, you know, most people don't really
want seniors. So it's something where socializing her was quite difficult,
(26:40):
as you can imagine. And, you know, with kids and
learning to understand her boundaries, I think it's more it's
less likely about socialization with cats when they're older and
more like you having to assess their boundaries, because otherwise
you'll get scratched or whatever it is. They're nine, they're seniors.
There's no real way to socialize them. Um, it's more
(27:00):
like you're having to assess their boundaries and assess their
behaviors so you understand whether or not they are receptive
to pats or hugs or cuddles or whatever it is.
She was not receptive to being picked up, being cuddled.
Nothing like that, right? I had her until she was
about 17 or 18, so I had her until I
was about 19. By that time, we'd sort of developed
(27:23):
an understanding of how to, you know, be around each other.
By that time as a senior, you just sort of
live together.
S4 (27:30):
You're like housemates.
S2 (27:31):
You're like housemates that have an understanding and you have
to assess their. It's more like you're assessing their boundaries
and they're just sort of adapting to their new environment. Yeah. Um,
as they get older, maybe it's more difficult to interact
and have them with cats, but even then you can
if you do that slowly, it'll still work.
S4 (27:48):
And one thing, a really good thing just to get
with cats is feliway plug feliway. It is amazing. Well, pheromones,
I love it.
S2 (27:59):
So with fellow that spray. So that spray only lasts
about 15 minutes. The important thing though is that you're
not spraying it and immediately putting the cat in the container,
because it's very. I'm sure you can smell it. You know,
the alcohol spray, it's kind of overpowering. So you cannot
put the cat immediately into the carrier after you've sprayed.
So you spray it, you give them a couple of minutes,
(28:20):
then you put them in. I used to get owners
to spray a towel and then put it over the
carrier when they come to the vet. That's what I do.
Diffusers are helpful. And in the in the actual cages.
The sprays are also fine too. Yeah, but like I said,
you have to give it a bit of a time
to waft.
S4 (28:35):
Another benefit of pets is especially with dogs when you
do have, say, a physical or psychological injury, when you
do feel ready to go outside with them is just
the ability for someone to go, oh my gosh, you've
got a dog, I've got a dog. They want to
say hi, we want to say hi, and boom, you've
(28:57):
made a friend.
S5 (28:59):
Um, yeah. Look, I think once you've had an injury,
then walking that dog is going to, you know, increase your, your,
your interaction with other people on a really positive level.
That's I think that's the important part. Like, people smile
and talk a certain way when they're, when they're talking
(29:19):
to someone about their pet. Like, I've walked with friends
who have dogs and it's like, oh, they're so cute.
Look at that beautiful dash. And, um, it's a really
positive interaction, which is really important. If you have had
an injury that is physical, it's kept you confined and
isolated or psychological because that immediately isolates you. So that
(29:42):
interaction on that really positive level is really important.
S3 (29:47):
Um, the other thing to add is that after a
psychological injury, people don't feel safe. But if you're walking
your dog and then someone looks at you and smiles,
it actually starts to help your brain. Remember that not
everybody is unsafe. Some people are happy, some people are nice,
some people are welcoming. So it allows you to start
to feel like you can be part of a community again.
(30:10):
So it's really, really important to go out there with
your pets, you know, and meet people as well. I
want to thank Nurse Angie and Doctor Reiko from the
Yap and Yan podcast. I think they actually did my
job for me today. I didn't have to do much
at all. I'm very, very grateful and we learnt so much.
So if you have any questions about pets, the type
(30:31):
of pet that might be right for you, keep an
ear out for their podcast or drop us a line
and we will get you in touch with the Yap
and Yan podcast experts.
S1 (30:41):
For more information, you can follow us on our socials
or if you require urgent support, please reach out to
the police or the ambulance on 000 lifeline on 13 1114.
That's 13 1114 Beyondblue on 1300 224 636. That's 1300 224 636. The 24
(31:04):
hour mental health access line, which is one 800 015,
double one. That's one 800 01511. Thank you for joining us.
And we'll be back next time.
Hello and welcome to the My Social Support Network podcast,
a series to guide you along the path to recovery
while on workers compensation. In this series, we will answer
questions from you and provide information from experts and people
with lived experience currently going through worker's compensation and those
who have made their way to the other side. Through
these interactions, we'll be giving you tools, advice, but most importantly,
(00:24):
encouragement on what can be a stressful time when you're
also recovering from an injury sustained in your workplace.
S2 (00:31):
I think it's the unconditional love that they give you.
You're less likely to feel, you know, really sad and
lonely because you do have someone else there that loves
you no matter what.
S3 (00:41):
The one thing that Covid has taught us is the
importance of social connection. But what it is layered on
even more is that animals allow us the opportunity to
have a really uncomplicated relationship. It allows us to get
that emotional connection, it allows us to feel supported. And
when you are recovering from injury, there's nothing nicer than
(01:02):
having a little puppy or a little pussycat. Come and
sit on your lap and say hello. So today we're
going to be talking to Nurse Angie and Doctor Raiko
from the Yap and Yan podcast, and they are going
to take over today's session. So just strap in and
just get excited about the conversation about how we can
use pets in recovery.
S4 (01:23):
Thanks, doctor. Caroline. I'm Angie.
S2 (01:26):
What a great intro. I'm Doctor Reiko. Lovely to meet everyone.
S4 (01:31):
Pets and coming out and using them in a recovery.
For me, I've had some recovery stories. I've had two
ACL reconstructions two years apart, and they are both six
month recoveries of lying down, little movement and resting my knees.
And I had my cat and my dog by my
(01:54):
side the whole time. Um, the use of pets is
very handy in that situation because they have an uncomplicated
relationship and you feel instantly connected to them, and if
you feel connected to something, you can cope a lot better. Ricco,
how does your cheeky cat amico help you in day
to day?
S2 (02:15):
Well, she provides entertainment obviously. Um, I haven't had such a,
I guess, substantial injury, but I guess over time in
the profession that we're in, um, I have definitely developed injuries.
And even through vet school, I injured my left wrist
from the continual writing and just all the things that
(02:37):
you have to do as a vet, surgery, whatever. Um,
and then I had to start I started doing physio recently,
and then I also have to do remedial massage like
every 2 to 3 months because of the fact that
our job is. So it's a lot of like heavy lifting,
lifting animals, sometimes very unpredictably lifting animals like, you know,
it's not like a static thing that doesn't move where
(02:59):
you're just lifting a box. It's like flailing arms and
like all these other things that you sort of aren't
accounting for, um, that can really injure, you know, shoulders, whatever.
And I went and saw my remedial massage person and
she was like, you cannot be lifting things on your
own anymore because you've injured your shoulder, essentially. Um, good
(03:20):
thing she's not super heavy because, you know. No, she's, um,
that's the cat. She's right. Yeah, yeah. Emiko is my cat.
She's a two year old little baby. Um, she's. Yeah.
She's great. She just provides me with endless entertainment and
fun times. And, you know, she's great.
S4 (03:36):
You know, I also have a cat and a dog
at home. And I was going to tell you about
this the other day, but I thought I'd save it
for the podcast because something just flipped in. Marshmallow, aka marshall.
I like to say marshmallow is his stage name and
that's my cat. Marshall is his, you know, on his
birth certificate, His normal name. I was lying down in
(03:57):
the sun yesterday, and Marshall decides to get on in
on the sun action, but then latched on to my
arm and I was flailing him around and had to
flick him off, arms and mouth on my arm and
(04:17):
digging in. And I think it was because I was
on the yoga mat and he wanted to be on
the yoga mat.
S2 (04:23):
I just think some cats are funny, and he does
that every time I need to take a shower, or
she'll just come in and attack my ankles to bits.
I've got scratches all over my ankles. I don't know
what's going on. The only time she does it is
when I am walking into the bathroom. That's it shreds
my ankles.
S3 (04:40):
So let me ask you girls a question. What do
you see as the therapeutic benefits of having a pet?
S2 (04:46):
Cats and dogs. I think it's like the unconditional love
that they give you, right? You could have, like, a horrible,
terrible day. You come home. They're just very, you know, simple.
They just want food. They just want to cuddle or
they just want to be around you, and then that's it.
And then that's all you need. You know, they just
sit on your lap, purr or, you know, butter sticks
(05:07):
his head on your lap and you just give them
a pat. You know, that sort of unconditional love or
whatever you want to call it is, is probably what
is quite helpful. And, you know, scientifically, you know, we
all know that there are studies out there that do
show that people who have animals, they tend to live longer,
they are happier in their lives. They are less likely, perhaps,
(05:28):
to be depressed or feel, you know, really sad and
lonely because you do have someone else there, perhaps not
a person, but another living thing in your house that
you have to take care of that loves you no
matter what, you know, without any conditions. Um, and I
think that can be really helpful in that sort of
emotional and psychological way, more than just like the physical
(05:52):
aspect of having an animal in your house.
S4 (05:55):
There was also a study recently with the physical act
of purring from a cat, and how that, like, brings
out endorphins and things for people, and just having the
fur on your chest or on your lap, like wherever
they're sitting, that can be really therapeutic for people. And
(06:15):
if you've had a bad day, having a cat purring
is so beneficial that now they've created toys like a
little cloud or things that vibrate, you know? So it's really,
really nice. We've had a question come in from one
of our listeners just a.
S5 (06:30):
Little further on what you were just talking about. Um,
I think it's it's well accepted that, you know, hugging
puppies and kittens and whatnot. Um, uh, does give you
a beautiful endorphin hit, and, and it makes you feel
good all around. You know, it lasts long after the
hug is finished, but can I just say I've recently
(06:51):
had photos of my son and his family who have
moved rurally, and they were at an emu farm at
a place called the Rock, and the new chicks have
just hatched and they were there cuddling new emu chicks.
And my son said to me, mum, it was just
(07:11):
the same good feeling as you get from hugging puppies. So, um, yeah,
I don't. It expands right through the animal kingdom. You know,
the closeness of an animal to a human is a wonderful,
wonderful thing.
S4 (07:27):
So true.
S3 (07:28):
The one thing about animals is that they've got this
ability to create a really safe relationship with you. So
if you've got a psychological injury, it helps allow you
to have probably one of the first safe relationships that
you can have. And you're right, it's really uncomplicated type
of relationship. If you're sitting at home and you don't
(07:48):
have a pet, How would you go about trying to
find the right pet for you? Like, is it a cat?
Is it a dog? What type of dog? And is
there a way of being able to explore what the
right type of pet for you might be? Well, I.
S2 (08:02):
Definitely have thoughts about that. I guess depending on the
type of animal. So for example, using myself as an example,
you know, I have I have a cat, I don't
have a dog, I don't have a dog for a reason.
My lifestyle does not allow for a dog. I do
travel relatively frequently, a couple times a year. It doesn't
(08:23):
necessarily need to be overseas, but enough to say that
having a dog wouldn't be a good idea because then
you have to find someone to look after them. You
can't really leave them alone, even for a 12 to
24 hour period. So you do have to think about,
is it something? Where do you a do you travel
a lot for work maybe. Um, do you have enough
time to take your animal out for walks? So dogs, right. Dogs.
(08:44):
You need to take them out. They need exercise, you know,
all that sort of stuff. Cats don't necessarily require exercise
in the same way, but you still need to have
time to play with them, provide them with enrichment and
things like that. Um, obviously, you know, in a way,
of course, you know, cats are easier to look after
because you don't need to take them for walks. They
can be alone for certain periods of time without you there.
(09:06):
And there are ways of looking after animals without adopting
them and having that full responsibility. You can do fostering.
I fostered Emiko before I got her for a couple
of weeks, just to make sure that she was the
right fit for me and that I was the right
fit for her because, you know, God forbid you adopt
an animal and you then you find out afterwards that
they're not the right fit, and then you have to
(09:27):
give them back. Right? You don't really want to be
doing that sort of stuff. Um, so fostering is an idea.
That's always something that you can do most places. RSPCA,
whatever it is, will allow you to do fostering. I
even think that they foster guinea pigs and rats and
things as well, I don't think. I think that's also
an option too. If you would like to have a
small mammal rather than cat or dog. Pocket pets like
(09:49):
my sister, for example. She has rats. Like rats are,
you know, and she doesn't have a cat for a reason.
She doesn't. She can't quite doesn't quite have the ability
to to do that. Birds. Things like that. You can.
I'm sure you can foster a bird. I've never really
heard of people fostering birds or reptiles, but I'm sure
that you can do that because you can still adopt
them from the RSPCA. So adopt a fostering is the
(10:11):
idea or looking after someone else's animal, you know, pet
sitters and get paid to do it too.
S5 (10:16):
Um, in 2020 I suffered a rather severe mental breakdown.
So at the end of that two weeks, when I
kind of started to become a bit more, um, conscious
of of my surroundings and myself, I realised that I
was really, really unwell and, um, I was on my
(10:38):
own and I'm a planning type person, and I thought,
we need to have a plan. So I had a
three point plan. Get a pet so that you are
not alone and you have someone to get out of
bed for, because otherwise I could see myself just never
wanting to ever get out of bed, let alone leave
(10:59):
the house. Um, and, uh, get a psychologist if you're
comfortable with that. And I started yoga as as as well. Um, but, Tilly,
she has been such a support to me. You know,
pets are very intuitive. There's. I still went through plenty
of days where I couldn't get out of bed, and
(11:21):
she always seemed to know whether it was okay. It's
a day to go harass mum. So she gets up
or it's a day to curl up next to mum
because she needs to, to to just rest and and
and repair. Um, and she has been endless hours of entertainment,
as you said before. Rico. Honestly, she makes me laugh
(11:44):
so much. It's just ridiculous. And she is just the
center of my universe. My adult children are very jealous
of her and they. My daughter said to me, mom,
I swear you love that cat more than you love me. Mm. But, yeah, I,
I truly don't know where my journey would have gone
(12:08):
if I hadn't been able to open up and and
get a pet. And that was the other thing. I
was very, very lucky. I was living in rented accommodation
at the time, and my landlord was very supportive. Um,
and that's, uh, another topic that that is, is really
kind of dear to my heart. The fact that so
many people suffering mental health issues in rental properties are
(12:31):
not able to have a support pet. And I saw
my son. Um, he he could have really, um, uh,
benefited from, from a from a dog or whatever. He's
now got a cat. I never thought he'd be a
cat person. But again, that that that little animal is
a huge. Means a huge amount to him and his well-being.
(12:53):
How did.
S4 (12:53):
You choose.
S5 (12:54):
Tilly? Okay, so that's another really important thing, I believe. Rescue. Rescue. Rescue. Rescue.
Adopt a dog. Adopt. There's so many puppies and and
kitties out there. Just waiting for a forever home. Um,
and I adopted from the RSPCA, and they were. They
(13:14):
were absolutely wonderful. So they. She came. Um, desexed and
microchipped and all that. And there is a fee, but
it only really covers the vet costs anyway, so. And
she was registered. I didn't have to do anything except
put her in a little carry thing and take her
home and start loving her.
S3 (13:34):
The RSPCA also has a special service where if you
suddenly find yourself in changed circumstances So you're unable to
look after your pet because you've had to move. You
might find yourself without a home to live in. They
will take the animal in until you get back on
your feet, so you don't have to surrender the animal.
(13:54):
The RSPCA will support the animal until you can afford
to take the animal back, which I think is really wonderful.
A lot of people feel the stress at having to
then get rid of their their beloved animal, as well
as have this event. That means that they feel like
they are very unsupported on this.
S4 (14:12):
I actually did my honors project on interviewing people who
just adopted from the RSPCA. So whether you adopt from
the RSPCA or various other shelters, the price is very
affordable and you can get a really beloved pet from
these shelters. I interviewed them all and they had to
perform a questionnaire at the end of one week. Mark
(14:35):
three month mark, six month mark about their expectations for
that adoption and how it was going. So I kind
of focused on the canine aspect and dogs, because dogs
can be very overwhelming for people, especially coming out of
an RSPCA environment. They've got a lack of sleep, so
they're quite hyperactive and it takes them a couple of
(14:57):
weeks to come down from that. So the study involved
seeing how if the one the people actually kept the
animal and didn't return them, and two, if, um, if
they were settling in well and you know, it, it
took them some time. It wasn't until maybe the more
(15:17):
the six month mark that people actually felt more connected
to their pet because they had to give it time
to really settle in. Whereas, um, that's the good thing
about fostering too, is you can foster and get things
out of the shelter environment, get them in a home, um,
straight away and get them used to home life. And
that's what Caroline's doing now with Golden Retriever Rescue. She's
(15:41):
got a foster puppy, and her first night was terrible.
S3 (15:46):
If someone does choose an animal and they're having an
issues with them in settling in, do you have any advice?
S2 (15:52):
It depends. You know, as Angie just said, with dogs
it can be different from cats. I think adopting a dog,
even fostering a dog. I think when you bring a
dog out of that shelter environment and you know, previously
they could have had, you know, an abusive home, perhaps
somewhere that's not really conducive to having pets. So they
have that background trauma as well, and it can be
(16:12):
more difficult for them to settle into a normal home,
so to speak. I think some of the non-profits, not
all of them, some of them have things in place
to sort of help the dog settle in, whether that
is training or other things like that. I know that
the RSPCA, they do have behavior analysis and behavior training
before they even leave the shelter. Of course, that doesn't
(16:36):
mean that as soon as they leave, that they'll be
perfect and that they will be able to automatically, you know,
adapt to their new environment very quickly. If we're going
to use this as an example, like me as a
vet in GP, I would see I have seen a
lot of patients, a lot of dogs who were recently adopted.
The owners are struggling with their anxiety and the behaviors
(16:57):
that the pet then has in their new home. And
so sometimes you know the recommendation, you know, you don't
really want to be jumping straight to medication. A lot
of owners really want to jump straight into anti-anxiety meds
and just doing that. And then sometimes it really is
about having to help them with that, you know, human
animal bond where they are, then getting an appropriate trainer,
(17:19):
someone who can help with adjusting the animal to the
to the home and doing things like that because it
is really difficult for the animal and the new adopter. Um,
and then sort of going on from that. So sometimes
the behaviors are just anxiety. They're anxious in the new
home and that's it. It's not necessarily a fear, aggression
or anything like that. It's just that sort of stuff.
(17:40):
And sometimes it can become other things. So you're just
sort of having to provide owners with the knowledge that
it is a step by step process. It's not something
that will happen overnight. As you said. You know, most animals,
they go home. It's only within the first six months,
if not later than that, where they start to feel
an actual bond and, you know, you sort of have
to make sure that you're managing the expectation that you're
(18:03):
going to have to keep coming back to the vet,
you're going to have to keep coming back with that
either behaviourist or trainer and keep working on it like
you really have to work on it the same way
with a human that has anxiety or whatever sort of
emotional or mental health issue. You sort of you have
to go see your therapist, you have to go see
your psychotherapist, psychiatrist, whoever it is, and you have to
keep working on it. It's not something that will go
(18:25):
away with like one consult or one visit or, you know,
that sort of thing. So you have to continue that,
I guess, in terms of how does how does anxiety
and stress show up in animals and you would know
this as well. Of course you know it shows up.
It can show up. As you know. Perhaps they're just scared, right?
It's different.
S4 (18:43):
Very different markers for dogs and cats, you know. So
we could be really specific here. So if I focus
on the dog ones and you think of cat ones Rico.
So dogs, if you just see them and they're stimulated
by something that might make them feel anxious and they
haven't been running around or anything, they could be panting.
(19:03):
So if they're not doing any exerting activity and you
see them panting, that is a sign of anxiety in
a dog, their wide eyes. So maybe they we kind
of call it like the when you see lots of
the white of their eye, that's a sign of anxiety.
Their ears are pinned back, their tail might be tucked
under their leg. That's a really obvious sign. Just the
(19:25):
fact of them kind of freezing in action might not
necessarily mean they want to freeze and have a pet.
It actually is just freezing from fear. So there's a
lot of different markers that are quite specific, like lip
licking as well. When they bring their tongue and they
touch the nose, that's also another marker as well. So
(19:47):
it's really important to kind of know these anxiety markers
in your pet. Then you can sort of change the
way you act around them too, to try and make
it feel more lovely. Based on just pulling back a
bit to the fact that pets can come from trauma,
it's a pretty big misconception there. It's not necessarily that
(20:07):
they're coming from an abusive household, and some can be,
but it's more the fact that they just missed their
socialisation period. And with key socialisation periods for cats and
dogs say there's a bucket that they've never seen before,
(20:27):
a dog or a cat. If they see that bucket,
they've never seen it before within their socialization period. If
you have a neutral or good response to that bucket,
they just move on with the rest of their lives
and go, oh, it's a bucket. No worries, I'll keep going.
But if they've never been exposed to that bucket before
in that socialization period, they're going to be freaked out
by that bucket. So when the next time they see it,
(20:50):
they want to run away from it. So that's the
same thing. Then they might start panting, lip licking, doing
all those things I express because they've just never seen
that bucket before. And you might have some specific cat ones.
S2 (21:01):
For cats, it can be a little bit more subtle.
Obviously everyone knows the main ones where it's sort of,
you know, ears pinned back, perhaps they're hissing. Um, perhaps,
you know, they've got their haunches up, so they've got
their fur standing up on end, um, and that sort
of thing, or their tail sort of up and over,
you know, the main sort of aggressive sort of signs
that's more of that can be fear and aggression. But
(21:25):
the other things that cats can do is they can
sort of like cower. They just like they freeze. They
sort of pancake on the table. Perhaps they're not moving
as much, whether that's in a vet situation, a vet scenario,
or at the home. And for the first time, you know,
maybe they're hiding a lot. They sort of are trying
to stay away from human contact or any sort of contact,
(21:46):
or they are they're hiding. Some some cats like to
hide in, like really high spaces and they feel, um,
a lot more confident. They feel better, less stress, less
anxious at the top of a shelf or in a closet.
You know, it's more so, things like that, I guess,
in a sort of vet scenario, it would be, you know,
when you bring your, your cat to the vet clinic,
(22:07):
what they really want to do most of the time
is jump around, run away, perhaps hide in the sink,
go in the shelf. Um, or they immediately start hissing,
or they try to cower in the corner. They try
to hide behind the computer, you know, things like that.
It's still the same sort of basic principles of what
you're looking out for. People sort of have started to
learn that the way that a cat moves their tail
(22:29):
is something that you are observing for how their behavior
is or how they're feeling.
S5 (22:34):
When I first got Tilly, she had just been desexed,
so they said to me to keep her confined in
the bathroom for a little while, try to stop her
from jumping up.
S4 (22:44):
I know we say that and I'm like, it's so hard.
S5 (22:48):
Like, that's just not possible. I think actually confining her
in that, in that smaller space. And of course, I
was in that bathroom with her for a good portion
of the time. Um, so here we were, both in
a bathroom. Um, and, um, I think it was a
good way for her to actually feel, I think cats
like that confined feeling sometimes, because I live in a
(23:12):
very small place of two rooms, and she finds places
to hide that you would not believe. So, yeah, her
her stress was not so bad when I got her. Um,
she's always been a bit timid and frightened of loud
noises and things like that. Um, but, uh, it was
just really her and I even though there was someone
(23:32):
else living in the house, they were not there very often,
and it was just her and I. I think if
you've got the time to really spend it with them, unless,
of course, they give you the feeling that they wanted
to be left alone. I mean, I knew when, when,
when we'd be sitting in the bathroom when she was
ready to, um, you know, go to sleep or whatever. They,
(23:53):
they very subtle signals that they give out. But as
for other stressful things, when her and I moved house,
she found a cupboard. And she stayed in that cupboard
for two days.
S4 (24:06):
Moving house. Very traumatic for the cats world.
S5 (24:10):
Absolutely. And she'd never been outside because I'd come from
a four bedroom house, and I was actually training her
to walk on a harness and lead. Um, but when
I moved, I felt that I had to let her wander.
And I actually live in a place that is not
the same kind of traffic as you would get on
a normal residential street. But now she's got a cat
(24:31):
netted backyard, so she goes out to have a little
poke around for half an hour. If I'm home. But
the majority of her time now is spent out there.
The next stressful thing that happened was the first time
I went away. I wanted someone from my family to
come and stay at my place, but at the time
it wasn't possible anyway. My daughter came as often as
(24:52):
she could and I said to her, she's not going
to be happy because her and I were together 24
over seven. The first time I actually went for a
trip to Sydney and I was away all day, she
was like, what the hell? When I got home, it
was like, where have you been? So my daughter, I
had said to her, this is not going to be
(25:12):
easy because she said, mum, she's a cat. She'll be fine.
I said, yeah, but she's not, she's not going to
be fine. So after that first episode, um, my daughter
in law had found a kitty cat hotel not far
from home. She seems to love it there, so it
makes it easier for me because I can travel and
not have to worry too much, you know?
S4 (25:34):
It sounds like you overcame them with Tilly. And I guess.
S3 (25:38):
That kind of leads to that question. You know, when
animals need socializing, what are like the 2 or 3
top tips that people could do other than get a trainer?
But if you've got a cat, you know, that's a
probably a little bit different. So is there anything helpful
out there for someone on how to socialize a brand
new kitten into their forever home?
S2 (25:56):
Kittens are easy. We'll put this in quotes like kittens.
They still depending on their age, you can still socialize them.
As in, you know, either they're interacting with other people's
cats or they're interacting with dogs. And it's just, you know,
something that you can do. I think it's more difficult
when they're older. And I do have experience with socializing
older animals. My first cat I got, she was nine
(26:18):
and I was like 13, and she had already been
in a previous home. And when we got her, it
was because the previous owners new kid was allergic to cats.
So either she came to us, or she probably would
have gone to some sort of a shelter. And because
she was a senior, you know, most people don't really
want seniors. So it's something where socializing her was quite difficult,
(26:40):
as you can imagine. And, you know, with kids and
learning to understand her boundaries, I think it's more it's
less likely about socialization with cats when they're older and
more like you having to assess their boundaries, because otherwise
you'll get scratched or whatever it is. They're nine, they're seniors.
There's no real way to socialize them. Um, it's more
(27:00):
like you're having to assess their boundaries and assess their
behaviors so you understand whether or not they are receptive
to pats or hugs or cuddles or whatever it is.
She was not receptive to being picked up, being cuddled.
Nothing like that, right? I had her until she was
about 17 or 18, so I had her until I
was about 19. By that time, we'd sort of developed
(27:23):
an understanding of how to, you know, be around each other.
By that time as a senior, you just sort of
live together.
S4 (27:30):
You're like housemates.
S2 (27:31):
You're like housemates that have an understanding and you have
to assess their. It's more like you're assessing their boundaries
and they're just sort of adapting to their new environment. Yeah. Um,
as they get older, maybe it's more difficult to interact
and have them with cats, but even then you can
if you do that slowly, it'll still work.
S4 (27:48):
And one thing, a really good thing just to get
with cats is feliway plug feliway. It is amazing. Well, pheromones,
I love it.
S2 (27:59):
So with fellow that spray. So that spray only lasts
about 15 minutes. The important thing though is that you're
not spraying it and immediately putting the cat in the container,
because it's very. I'm sure you can smell it. You know,
the alcohol spray, it's kind of overpowering. So you cannot
put the cat immediately into the carrier after you've sprayed.
So you spray it, you give them a couple of minutes,
(28:20):
then you put them in. I used to get owners
to spray a towel and then put it over the
carrier when they come to the vet. That's what I do.
Diffusers are helpful. And in the in the actual cages.
The sprays are also fine too. Yeah, but like I said,
you have to give it a bit of a time
to waft.
S4 (28:35):
Another benefit of pets is especially with dogs when you
do have, say, a physical or psychological injury, when you
do feel ready to go outside with them is just
the ability for someone to go, oh my gosh, you've
got a dog, I've got a dog. They want to
say hi, we want to say hi, and boom, you've
(28:57):
made a friend.
S5 (28:59):
Um, yeah. Look, I think once you've had an injury,
then walking that dog is going to, you know, increase your, your,
your interaction with other people on a really positive level.
That's I think that's the important part. Like, people smile
and talk a certain way when they're, when they're talking
(29:19):
to someone about their pet. Like, I've walked with friends
who have dogs and it's like, oh, they're so cute.
Look at that beautiful dash. And, um, it's a really
positive interaction, which is really important. If you have had
an injury that is physical, it's kept you confined and
isolated or psychological because that immediately isolates you. So that
(29:42):
interaction on that really positive level is really important.
S3 (29:47):
Um, the other thing to add is that after a
psychological injury, people don't feel safe. But if you're walking
your dog and then someone looks at you and smiles,
it actually starts to help your brain. Remember that not
everybody is unsafe. Some people are happy, some people are nice,
some people are welcoming. So it allows you to start
to feel like you can be part of a community again.
(30:10):
So it's really, really important to go out there with
your pets, you know, and meet people as well. I
want to thank Nurse Angie and Doctor Reiko from the
Yap and Yan podcast. I think they actually did my
job for me today. I didn't have to do much
at all. I'm very, very grateful and we learnt so much.
So if you have any questions about pets, the type
(30:31):
of pet that might be right for you, keep an
ear out for their podcast or drop us a line
and we will get you in touch with the Yap
and Yan podcast experts.
S1 (30:41):
For more information, you can follow us on our socials
or if you require urgent support, please reach out to
the police or the ambulance on 000 lifeline on 13 1114.
That's 13 1114 Beyondblue on 1300 224 636. That's 1300 224 636. The 24
(31:04):
hour mental health access line, which is one 800 015,
double one. That's one 800 01511. Thank you for joining us.
And we'll be back next time.
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