Pets and cancer

Can owning a pet count as palliative cancer treatment?

PHOTO: Caravaggio, a very special cat

I've heard there is a correlation between owning a pet and a reduced cancer risk. It has something to do with pets helping lower stress and blood pressure.

I no longer worry about getting cancer (HA!), however, I do want to improve my overall health--and maybe a cure lies within a lovable ball of fur.

Now that Brett and I have been married for over a year our urge to raise a kitty reached its peak last weekend when we adopted Caravaggio, an orange rescue kitty.

Caravaggio is playful, loving and everything you could ever want from a cat. I find myself waking early just to go clean his poop box, scratch his head and provide him with fresh water. When working from home, you can find me curled up with a laptop computer and an orange domestic shorthair tabby cat.

Caravaggio is named after an Italian artist born in the late 1500s.

Animals make you forget about cancer

Sometimes I don't blog because I feel that what I have to say isn't cancer-related, but this post about a cat different--it's about being alive and giving love. Sometimes I need to remember that writing about living is an import part of this experience.

This cat makes me feel good. Everything he does is cute and wonderful.

Somewhere within this cat is a cure for cancer and the only way I can find it is by loving him and enjoying his cuteness.

How has a pet helped with your cancer experience? Watch Caravaggio being cute in the video below...