When thinking of ways to reduce stress in life, usually techniques like meditation, yoga and journal writing come to mind. These are great techniques, to be sure. But getting a new best friend can also have many stress relieving and health benefits. While human friends provide great social support and come with some fabulous benefits, this article focuses on the benefits of furry friends: cats and dogs! Research shows that, unless you’re someone who really dislikes animals or is absolutely too busy to care for one properly, pets can provide excellent social support, stress relief and other health benefits—perhaps more than people!
I’d like to introduce you to my Pumpkin Bumpkin. He is an Orange Tabby cat that I rescued from a Arizona animal shelter in 2000. He is CRAZY although he appears to be calm and cuddly in the video. Pumpkin likes to bite as they warned and he has been de-clawed because he did understand he had to retract his claws. I resorted to de-clawing only because he would scratch everyone and everything. I’d get to work everyday only to realize when he attached himself to my leg on my way out the door he had caused a run. Often the cats who need the most affection are the ones that are the most difficult to love and scratch you when you’re trying to pet them.
Pumpkin is strictly an indoor cat that is per his adoption papers, and yes he has been neutered as well. Neutering not only prevents unwanted litters of kittens, but it also eliminates the male cat from marking the home with his scent. There is nothing worse then walking into a home that smells of cat.
He has also been referred to as Prince Pumpkin because he is spoiled, very spoiled. He has his own restroom area that I partitioned off in the bathroom by painting and joining together two bi fold doors. He refuses to eat any type of table food. In fact I on occasion, just to test him; place shrimp or fish in his bowl. He sits near his bowl looks at me, looks back at his bowl then meow (yells) at me for several seconds( get this crap out of my bowl). Then he throws his tail in the air as if to say, I wait you out, but I’ll win.
This Saturday like every other Saturday Pumpkin and I are taking it easy, we are currently debating who is going to get who breakfast. I think he should bring me breakfast, he of course thinks otherwise. Figures!
Pumpkin Bumpkin will be featured in future videos and posts. Do you have a pet? Tell us about your furry friend(s) in the comment section.
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“Often the cats who need the most affection are the ones that are the most difficult to love and scratch you when you’re trying to pet them.”
I’ve known some human beings like this, Debo!
I do not have a pet, but my landlady has a Jack Russell (Scamper); I dog sit sometimes when she goes away. My son and daughter-in-law also have a Jack Russell (Sophie), and when I visit Sophie jumps at me and snuggles on my lap, wiggling around until I play with her.
Beths last blog post..Mulholland Drive – my favorite movie endings
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Debo Hobo Reply:
November 15th, 2008 at 11:22 am
Beth, Hi how have you been? It sounds like you do have pets but they just don’t live with you.
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hey, thanks for the comments over at my site…had to come over of course!!…hee hee
Loving Pumpkin…he is soooo cute!!!
darlenes last blog post..I Like My Chicken Fried
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Debo Hobo Reply:
November 15th, 2008 at 6:07 pm
Hi Darlene thank you so much for stopping by. Pumpkin is the best pet one could have…he is cute I agree!
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i even clicked on yur google adds!!..where is yu ecard girl!!…ya have got to get it!!
darlenes last blog post..I Like My Chicken Fried
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Debo Hobo Reply:
November 15th, 2008 at 6:06 pm
Thanks for the support…I had the entrecard but it was causing my bounce rate to rise because folks were only stopping by to drop cards not to read my content. Plus the point system bogus…
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Ink Spot was a stray, but is an indoor cat now, though she is sometimes tempted to run out.
She only wants affection when SHE decides she wants affection. Otherwise, she’ll bite you or run off.
dcrs last blog post..New Model and Animation
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Debo Hobo Reply:
November 15th, 2008 at 7:06 pm
Cats are funny that way….we are only here to humor and serve them
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[...] Vote Pumpkin Bumpkin My Muse My Stress Relief [...]
Oh, what a cutie from what I can see! But the video isn’t working for me – says it is no longer available? I will check back or you can email me if you get it working again.
My male cat, Toast, is an orange tabby (also known as ginger cats I think, I gathered this from my blog buddies overseas). Anyway, Toast is a big cat who is also a big baby. My female, Jam, is smaller than Toast but she runs the house for the most part. He was taken in when he was a kitten and seems to not have realized that he has surpassed her in size. LOL. Jam loves to sit just two inches beyond your arm’s length when she wants petting. Then she will look so sweet and pretty, sitting there in front of you all lady like until you can’t resist petting her and have to move because she is just out of reach. Then you pet her and she’ll take a step away so you step closer and pet again and so on until finally, she has lead you into the kitchen and wants either some food or to be let on the porch, where they can oversee the goings on of our back yard.
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Debo Hobo Reply:
November 16th, 2008 at 8:41 am
Teeni, Pumpkin does the same thing he will walk up to the sofa and sit just far enough so I have to extremely extend and still my finger tips barely reach his nose. He too moves back when I move forward. So passive aggressive! I think he is actually a Maine Coon Cat, and that the animal shelter didn’t know so just tagged him as Tabby-
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Previously when I had dove birds, each in the afternoon I played with the birds. And that stress medicine.
love2003s last blog post..Dizziness
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Awww, thanks for emailing me. I came back to see the video. He is adorable! I love how he answered you at one point. My cats do that too. He has a sweet voice (my cats unfortunately don’t). LOL. Pumpkin really DOES look like a Maine Coon so you may have something there.
Thanks for sharing, Debo! I love your little muse!
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Debo Hobo Reply:
November 16th, 2008 at 12:42 pm
he’s my bubby!
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Pumpkin is ADORABLE
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Debo Hobo Reply:
November 16th, 2008 at 2:47 pm
Thanks. He knows it though and he prances around here like he owns the place.:)
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Your kitty is so cute! He really understand you!
I have a doggie, a Dachshund boy named Leo. I couldn’t image what a doggie could bring me before I had Leo.
They are the best friends of us.
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Debo Hobo Reply:
November 18th, 2008 at 8:50 pm
I’ve had cats most of my life, but Pumpkin is the first one I’ve had while living alone. So now he is really spoiled.
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Hi there. I have 2 dogs and I love them to death. They make me happy and stress free. I’ve never been a cat person but my son got a kitty last year and I call him my grandkitten. He has adopted me as his grandma. He loves to cuddle on my chest while I rub his ears.
I love it!
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Debo Hobo Reply:
November 18th, 2008 at 8:49 pm
Cats will claim space and people like they rule the world. And the funny thing is they do!
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Yay! I can watch the video now. Now I’ve seen Pumpkin Bumpkin!
dcrs last blog post..The Ohio Box
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Debo Hobo Reply:
December 4th, 2008 at 7:34 pm
That’s my bubba!! He keeps me company, no I’m not the crazy cat lady yet….I need to get out and find a man….
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