The healing power of cats
It is safe to say that most pet owners feel a special bond with their animal companions. They are always there to share the good times, and bring comfort when their owners are down. But their ability to help people goes much further than that.
There are many recorded cases of cats detecting medical conditions, such as cancer, and they have also been shown to relieve the symptoms of depression and to improve the quality of life for those in nursing and care homes.
Pets help lower blood pressure and stress, and increase the survival rates of those with heart disease. They also, of course, provide vital support to people with disabilities. Sarah Proudly, who lives in Cambridgeshire, certainly believes in the power of animals to heal. When she suffered a spinal stroke, she was told she might never regain the feeling in her body or walk again. Thanks to her cats, however, she defied the prognosis of the doctors.
‘I woke up the same as any other day and sat up in bed, only this time I had lost the feeling in my arms and hands,’ she says. ‘My brain was telling them to move but nothing happened.
‘My husband took me to the doctor’s surgery but as we were waiting our turn, the situation got even worse. Without warning, the left side of my body stopped working, and this quickly extended to the rest of my body. I could talk and move my head, but nothing else.’
Sarah was terrified. An ambulance was called and she was rushed to hospital. ‘At this point my legs went into spasm and were erratically moving like a puppet whose strings are being pulled in different directions.
‘I had no reflexes and one pupil was larger than the other, which apparently indicates a loss of oxygen to the brain. The hospital began a series of tests, ranging from chest Xrays to lumbar punctures, blood tests and MRI scans. I was kept in hospital in the intensive-care unit, unable to move from the neck down – it was terrifying.
‘There was a conflict of opinion on the diagnosis – it could have been a spinal stroke or transverse myelitis. Either way, the prognosis was gloomy and I was told that I might never walk again. In fact, the doctors told me if it had been any higher up my spinal cord it would have killed me.’
Sarah was put on a high dose of steroids and then sent home for the weekend in a wheelchair. Her parents were looking after her and her husband brought their two cats over for company. She had always loved cats and spent a lot of time at the Wood Green Animals Charity centre in Cambridgeshire as a volunteer.
‘Initially, I fostered a female cat and her kitten until a good, caring home was found, and at that point I rediscovered the joy of having cats around. Later, I took on Sophie, a 13-year-old, black-and-white rescue cat, who was one of the long-term residents of Wood Green. I think the centre wondered if they would ever rehome Sophie as she had been with them for months and nobody had shown any interest in her. But she and I bonded immediately and she followed me everywhere.
‘Eventually I adopted her and thought it would be nice for her to have company, so I also adopted a small white, orange-and-black kitten called Winnie, who had been dumped with the rest of her litter. The combination was an instant success – they adored each other from the start and they were both devoted to me.’
As soon as Sarah came home from hospital her cats joined her, delighted to be reunited with their owner. ‘They were thrilled to be with me again and circled round me, vying for my affection. It was awful not to be able to reach out and stroke them and give them the cuddle they longed for. They never left my side and would happily curl up on my lap for hours.’
Sarah’s treatment continued and she was sent to Stoke Mandeville Hospital for physiotherapy. ‘Each weekend I was sent home and found great comfort in my girls. It was torture not to be able to fuss them. But, they would jump up on to my lap and I was determined to stroke them once again.
‘Finally, after numerous attempts to reach for them, I felt their warm fur on my hand. There was a rush of pins and needles and, as I gradually began to stroke them, feeling bombarded my hands.’
Sarah continued her course of physiotherapy at Stoke Mandeville Hospital and came home each weekend. ‘My girls were waiting for me every time and as they nursed me back to health, so the feeling began to return in the rest of my body.
‘I can walk again now and when the physiotherapist visits, Sophie watches her every move as if to say “Make sure you do it right”. I definitely feel these two cats gave me back my life.’
Wood Green, The Animals Charity: 0844-248 8181, www.woodgreen.org.uk
There are many recorded cases of cats detecting medical conditions, such as cancer, and they have also been shown to relieve the symptoms of depression and to improve the quality of life for those in nursing and care homes.
Pets help lower blood pressure and stress, and increase the survival rates of those with heart disease. They also, of course, provide vital support to people with disabilities. Sarah Proudly, who lives in Cambridgeshire, certainly believes in the power of animals to heal. When she suffered a spinal stroke, she was told she might never regain the feeling in her body or walk again. Thanks to her cats, however, she defied the prognosis of the doctors.
‘I woke up the same as any other day and sat up in bed, only this time I had lost the feeling in my arms and hands,’ she says. ‘My brain was telling them to move but nothing happened.
‘My husband took me to the doctor’s surgery but as we were waiting our turn, the situation got even worse. Without warning, the left side of my body stopped working, and this quickly extended to the rest of my body. I could talk and move my head, but nothing else.’
Sarah was terrified. An ambulance was called and she was rushed to hospital. ‘At this point my legs went into spasm and were erratically moving like a puppet whose strings are being pulled in different directions.
‘I had no reflexes and one pupil was larger than the other, which apparently indicates a loss of oxygen to the brain. The hospital began a series of tests, ranging from chest Xrays to lumbar punctures, blood tests and MRI scans. I was kept in hospital in the intensive-care unit, unable to move from the neck down – it was terrifying.
‘There was a conflict of opinion on the diagnosis – it could have been a spinal stroke or transverse myelitis. Either way, the prognosis was gloomy and I was told that I might never walk again. In fact, the doctors told me if it had been any higher up my spinal cord it would have killed me.’
Sarah was put on a high dose of steroids and then sent home for the weekend in a wheelchair. Her parents were looking after her and her husband brought their two cats over for company. She had always loved cats and spent a lot of time at the Wood Green Animals Charity centre in Cambridgeshire as a volunteer.
‘Initially, I fostered a female cat and her kitten until a good, caring home was found, and at that point I rediscovered the joy of having cats around. Later, I took on Sophie, a 13-year-old, black-and-white rescue cat, who was one of the long-term residents of Wood Green. I think the centre wondered if they would ever rehome Sophie as she had been with them for months and nobody had shown any interest in her. But she and I bonded immediately and she followed me everywhere.
‘Eventually I adopted her and thought it would be nice for her to have company, so I also adopted a small white, orange-and-black kitten called Winnie, who had been dumped with the rest of her litter. The combination was an instant success – they adored each other from the start and they were both devoted to me.’
As soon as Sarah came home from hospital her cats joined her, delighted to be reunited with their owner. ‘They were thrilled to be with me again and circled round me, vying for my affection. It was awful not to be able to reach out and stroke them and give them the cuddle they longed for. They never left my side and would happily curl up on my lap for hours.’
Sarah’s treatment continued and she was sent to Stoke Mandeville Hospital for physiotherapy. ‘Each weekend I was sent home and found great comfort in my girls. It was torture not to be able to fuss them. But, they would jump up on to my lap and I was determined to stroke them once again.
‘Finally, after numerous attempts to reach for them, I felt their warm fur on my hand. There was a rush of pins and needles and, as I gradually began to stroke them, feeling bombarded my hands.’
Sarah continued her course of physiotherapy at Stoke Mandeville Hospital and came home each weekend. ‘My girls were waiting for me every time and as they nursed me back to health, so the feeling began to return in the rest of my body.
‘I can walk again now and when the physiotherapist visits, Sophie watches her every move as if to say “Make sure you do it right”. I definitely feel these two cats gave me back my life.’
Wood Green, The Animals Charity: 0844-248 8181, www.woodgreen.org.uk