Happiful April 2021

“Cute cat videos fill platforms like
YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok,
and we have to ask ourselves why
it makes us feel good? Whether
we’re watching wild animals
playing or dogs goofing in the
snow, in many ways such footage
has been the saving grace for lots
of us during lockdown and the
global pandemic.”
While there’s no true
replacement for the real thing,
animal videos aren’t to be
snubbed, as a study from the
University of Leeds found that
participant’s stress levels were
significantly reduced after
watching half an hour of animal
videos. ‘Surprised kitty’, anyone?
All creatures great and small
Off the screen, it’s true that
help comes in many forms, as
Jade Hopkins found out when
she adopted a baby tortoise,
called Dell, at the beginning of
lockdown in 2020.
“Just like many other families,
lockdown hit us pretty hard,”
Jade says. “Having a tortoise join
our family, just when we were
all starting to struggle, has really
helped us.”
With her family, Jade researched
safe and healthy foods for Dell to
eat, and together they ventured
outside on long walks, to forage
for suitable weeds and flowers.
“Dell really has improved our
mental health, and not just by
being a little cutie!” she adds.
On the other side of the
spectrum, Amanda Gaughran
found a huge amount of
comfort in her Blue Cross
rescue horse, Jasmine,
following the death of her
daughter, Genna.
Amanda’s mental health
was deteriorating, which
led her to spend some
time in hospital while
she recovered.
“Caring for
Jasmine gave
me a purpose,”
Amanda says. “We
rescued each other
in our times of need.
I think she was sent
to help me. It proves
what great healers
horses can be.”
Through our most trying times,
animals are non-judgemental
companions, loving us
unconditionally, helping us to
reclaim structure, and challenging
us in new ways. And while
Amanda and Jade’s pets may look
very different, their emotional
impact is felt just the same.
Working animals
Outside of the home, animals are
supporting our mental health in
innovative ways. Animal assisted
therapy (AAT) is a therapeutic
model that uses animals to help
people with both physical and
mental health conditions. Exactly
what those interactions are, or
which animals are involved, will
entirely depend on the individual
and their needs – but studies
have found AAT to be particularly
helpful for decreasing anxiety,
depression, and isolation, while
increasing motivation, feelings
of being socially supported, and
even decreasing the perception
of pain.
“Dogs, cats, rats, rabbits, or
more exotic creatures such as
degu, geckos, or even fish, can be
hugely beneficial for us,” explains
counsellor Kathryn.
“Whether this is training them,
caring for them, playing with
them, grooming, or exercising
them, it all contributes towards
a beneficial human-companion
animal relationship, which in
turn can be therapeutic.”
Outside of therapy, this is
something that anyone with a
62 | April 2021 | happiful.com