To ask for an animal appreciation thread

[Shitshitshitshit]

Going through the worst time in my life at the moment.

I wanted to start a thread about my little dog. He is a wonderful source of comfort and when I'm having my down days I can tell he knows. He sits with me whilst I cry and doesn't mind just sitting in bed with me. He really deserves some appreciation!

He is a lovely little soul and I couldn't do it without him.

Let me have your stories about how your pet has helped you or just been bloody brilliant!

I love my dog so much. She sat with me for weeks when I was sick. She is funny and so brave. I cannot be friend of anyone who does not like animals or hates cats or dogs, I know i should not feel like that but I do.
I am glad you have your little dog, you are never alone.

This is Rufus and he was our puppy 5 years ago. Sadly, after we moved houses he then grew too big for the house (he was a very big doggo) so we passed him over to a family who had the space for him.

I still miss him. I loved to stroke his fur and his ears. Always cheered me up.

My cat has been through so much with me. He was there when my abusive marriage was at it's worse, despite losing clumps of his hair through stress, he never left my side. He was more of a comfort than my abusive ex when my brother died. He would literally sit right by me as I slept, cried and slept. He only ever went off to do his business and eat and would come straight back to me. This went on for three days. We've moved three times together. Now he's still here, despite the new addition and our sweet (but quite large and excitable) dog. I love him, he's literally been there through the worst times. Animals are the best

My dog thinks she's a human. She likes to sleep in between us, with her head on a pillow and her body under the duvet. She also loves to spoon - often opting to be "big spoon" despite being smaller than your average house cat.

When I was pregnant and had HG she would curl up next to my stomach and her warmth would ease the ache - like the perfect hot water bottle.

Oh these are lovely

They are such bright things, my little man can always tell when he needs to stop playing and give me a cuddle instead. He's made some days easier for me than my human companions!

DP and I were both chronically depressed to the point we couldn’t even face going out apart from to work. We would both just get home and go to bed, no reason to do anything and nothing really to live for. We then got our puppy and he has changed our lives.
I know it doesn’t always work and some people can become even more depressed with the stress of the puppy stage but we just tried to embrace it.
He gives us a reason to go out for walks, take him to new places to explore etc. We can’t just stay in bed moping now as he needs us. He’s just the best
Pic of him at 10 weeks on his way back from the vets

Really enjoying reading these. My animals are always lovely but have been particularly brilliant during my recent difficult times. They give their unconditional love and trust always

Dogmum94 that was the same as us. Got our pup during a really difficult time. It's still hard, I still have massively down days. But he gets me out of the house more than I would have done without him. And he gives me special cuddles when I do just want to mope in bed.

It's the unconditional way they love, it's just heartwarming to have this little thing that can't wait to see you when you get home and is happy just to be near you. He's brought a little bit of light to my life during a dark time.

I don't agree with anyone who says 'but he's just a dog'. He's been there for me more than most of my friends recently.

We rehomed one of our Lurchers from an outside life - in a pen 20 odd hours a day. Used to poaching and killing anything that ran, she is now a proper family pet, even likes the dcats - unless the licks are sly tasting sessions!
Having a ddog love you so much is very warming!!

When my dog came into my life I hadn't been out of the house on my own for months - and when I did go out I had to be medicated into insensibility. My husband presented me with a puppy, twelve weeks old, blind in one eye and dependent on me for care and love. I'm delighted to say that somehow this tiny scrap of mischief cut through the fog, the first day I had him we walked to the end of the street together and after that the world gradually opened back up.

He's my best friend, my stitching buddy, my sounding board and my fiercest defender. MrH once asked me to choose between them. I told him where he could find his suitcase. It's never come up again.

AnnieHawk that's lovely to read how much your friend helped you.

How old is he now?

My mother suffered from schizophrenia. I bought a little dog which brought so much into her troubled life. She was up early in the mornings, walking five miles a day with him. She treated him like a baby. He was her world and he gave her what she needed.

In the last three years of her life, she never experienced another psychotic episode and was medically compliant. Previously she would sell her meds for a packet of cigarettes.

I'm so grateful for our little dog in what he brought to my mother's life. As I now have him, she lives on in him.

He's eight now. We go everywhere together, to the point where if he's not welcome I don't go either. I don't know what I'd do without him.

I had a delicious chicken today ...

I love my little King Charles Spaniels, they are always there, through all my good times and bad. I love them, and can't imagine life without them.

bestideaeva I do live a Sunday dinner

My little fluff sandwiches me between him and my husband and now I can't sleep until he has taken his little place with his back against either my stomach or back. I was scared of dogs due to being bitten by relatives dog and at first I was so scared I would sleep on the sofa where he could not reach me but I couldn't leave him on his own as he would cry if I wasn't with him. He goes everywhere I go and follows me like a little sheep. He has brought so much laughter and joy that I could of never imagined existed. He is my world and he has me wrapped around his little paws.

My two cats. They have lived through two years of my ex bullying me. He never hurt them but they constantly hid when we was around and they hated him from day one. I should have listened to what they were telling me

A couple of months ago I caught him cheating, the day I kicked him out the cats were very nervous. The first night without him, they both came and got into my bed which they hadn't done in all my time with him, literally wiped my tears and didn't leave my side. My Little Rock's

They have backed off a bit now, but they now know it's just us three. They are happy and content and if I meet someone else, if they don't like him, it will be their opinion I listen to! I know crazy cat lady

My little munchkins

Oh look at them my cat is the grumpiest bastard. Still a little sweetheart though when he wants to be.