The Importance of Touch

By Warren Eckstein

Scientific studies have shown that touch can do amazing things. It can heal and soothe and perform far beyond the normal bounds of traditional medicine; it can lower the blood pressure, and it can retard or even cure certain serious physical problems. More than that, it can bring two spirits together.

When you spend time touching your pet, you are relating to him as another animal does. But because you’re his guardian, you’re also assuring him of his position in your life and of the fact that your truly care about him and his needs. By including massage in your pet’s weekly schedule, you can do more to make him trust you and want to please you than you can possibly imagine. Pet massage and touching is not just a warm, comforting approach to dealing with pet behavior problems -- it is also a step toward your own revitalization, because you also reap the benefits of touch and massage when your perform it. You can feel you own tension dissolving and sense a new calm in your personality. By helping your dog or cat to relax, you relax as well.

You may feel self-conscious at first, and that’s perfectly normal. But once you and your pet acquire the massage and touch habit, you’ll probably both let your defenses down a little. Through touch you can help those aches and pains, you can turn a scowl to a smile and, most important, you can show your pet that you truly love him.