GO BUY A CAT

Pets allow for a relaxing and warm environment where a person can find peace. A cat’s purr and warm belly brings comfort to an upset person, just like my Jezzie’s soft belly brings me comfort. The relationship my cat and I have built together has been one of my favorite things. I would choose my cat over most people and things, and that demonstrates the value that’s placed on the relationship between owner and pet.

Social media is a continuous problem that will impact society and mental health. Pets can help with the mental health issues social media brings by being a physical support to their owner. Social media also has enabled a massive boom in the popularity of pets. More people have brought home a pet since social media enabled a mass spread of the joy found in pets.

With this in mind, consider getting yourself a furry friend, if you don’t have one already. From my experience, cats are an excellent companion and mental health buddy.

Social media, mental health, and world pandemic: During the COVID 19 pandemic, the world was isolated from itself, with only the companionship of your housemates and pets were available. For me, this meant my mother, sister, dogs, and my cat Jezabelle. She and I would spend our days in my room lounging on my bed, enjoying the extended break I had from school. As the pandemic worsened, so did my mental health. I found myself struggling with depressive feelings and felt my anxiety come back. To help myself, I would lie on the couch with my cat on my chest, watching a movie on the tv. I did not think much of the action at the time but reflecting on the pandemic made me realize the growing importance of the companionship of animals.

Everyone spent more time on their phones and scrolling of social media, and there for a new boom of popularity began for house pets. More people began posting their animals, and new platforms were created where the influencers were the pets themselves. This act enabled people to find joy in scrolling social media by being greeted with the many different faces of the pets. The growing platforms on social media encouraged a strong relationship between owner and pet and enabled a deeper understanding on the importance of pets in mental health. The platforms encourage people to find a companion in their pet, or to get a pet if they do not have one. The usage of social media further normalizes a strong bond between human and animal.

Growth of Social Media

The growth of social media is enabling a wider variety of entertainment and communication amongst people, and even pets. The most popular animal creator on Instagram was Jiffpom the Pomeranian, who had over 9 million followers on Instagram and 20.3 million followers on TikTok. The influx in pet-creators has caused a rise in popularity in pets. Creating a platform where people can connect via their love for their pets allows a stronger sense of community and a better, more personal relationship with the pet. The boom in social media caused an increase in pet popularity but a worsening of mental health.

The increase of social media use has caused more mental health issues due to overexposure to the world. With social media, people can see what others are doing without them or begin to compare their life to those who are influencers. Social media has caused society to gain this understanding that one’s life must be perfect, where that is not reality. Social media is not good at showing the true sides of life and the struggles that come with every-day living. Pets allow for a reconnection to reality and help owners find joy in their current situation. Their companionship allows for positive emotions to flow.

Cats and Mental Health

With my experience with cats and mental health, the creatures have a calming nature that enables a person to wind down and relax. Being able to pet and hold a cat brings immense amounts of comfort to people who enjoy their presence. It is believed that cats understand when a person is in distress or in need of comfort, and therefore uses its purrs to enable release in the pained human. American Psychiatric Association (APA) ran a poll on 2,200 adults which resulted in 86% of people saying their pets have had a positive impact on their mental health, and 88% even consider their pet as family (“Americans note overwhelming,” 2023).

When I am feeling overwhelmed, I will grab my cat and have her lay on my chest, which helps me compose myself. When she is on my chest, I begin to think about her and not what was troubling me. It is useful for me to see her sleeping and being at peace and then adopting that behavior. Using Jezzie as an influence when I am not feeling myself enables me to recenter and relax. In the Netherlands, it was studied and proven that pets have a positive impact on the mental health of their owners. Science and personal experiences both prove that pets are a mood booster.

MY BABY JEZZIE

Soft and comforting, the cat, Jezabelle, lies next to me. Every night she joins me in bed, ready to curl up and drift off. She has been mine since I was five years old. During my parents’ divorce, we found a litter of kittens in the backyard of the house we just sold. She was in that litter, and we knew she was going to come home with us. My sister, being the one who picked her out, named her this unique name, Jezabelle, my mother thinking it is because it sounds quite like my name, Isabel. There is no life experience that my cat has not been there for since I got her. Jezabelle is my comfort of choice, and she has shown me the power that animals have when it comes to showing comfort to humans.

Jezabelle and I spend my days at home lying on the couch in the sunroom, or on the floor of my room. She calls for me when she is hungry or when she is ready for bed. When I am surrounded by her, I feel comforted and relaxed. I have grown fond of her soft stomach and her purrs. Many times, when we lie together, she will rest on top of my chest or right by my head. Having grown up with my cat has taught me the impact she has had on my life. Reflecting, I remember the times where I would reach for her as a young child, and her being there with me and showing me comfort. Going through a global pandemic and being raised in a world of technology, being grounded by my pet is the best gift possible to keep my mind healthy.