Pet therapy cats vs dogs

I used to rear dogs as pets when I was little. Now that I am not so little anymore, my family adopted a cat. I have to say, taking care of dogs and taking care of cats.....well, a very different matter altogether.....

After years of caring for dogs and cats, I have concluded that:

If they could talk, they would probably say....
A dog - "You are my master"
A cat - "I am your master"

A dog would always seek attention from the owners (wags tail, barks, licks the owner)
A cat would only seek the owners' attention when 1) hungry 2)......hungry 3) mmmm.....hungry

A dog can be too clingy at times as it depends on you for its livelihood
A cat can't be bothered and will most probably not think twice about changing owners if ill-treated (i may be wrong as some cats are very loyal)

A dog is generally high-maintenance as they consume more food, need more space and more of your attention
A cat, on the other hand, just needs very little feeding (i think it depends on the breed), sleeps 16 hours a day and spends another 4 hours grooming and staring into the sky.........hence, a cat does not have much time for you.

My feline friend (btw, her name is Juli NG, as in Juling) is my bundle of joy. My mother-in-law found her abandoned at the TTDI morning market one day. "She squints, that is possibly the reason why she was left behind" My husband and I took her in and presented her to my dad (whom had just lost our family cat not too long ago) a few days later and the rest is history.

Nowadays, they are a tight pair. Juling never once leaves my dad when he is alone and loves to sit by the toilet door whenever one of us is in it. hahahha....just to make sure we do not fall into the toilet bowl........Juling never does her big business in the house......she actually walks down 7 flight of stairs and poops god knows where........good kitty!

Even though your sofa will not look the same again and the occasional soiling of the floor and door mat may drive you nuts, cats offer plenty of health benefits to its owners.

Health benefits of owning pets (in this case both cats and dogs):

Companionship
1. Dogs and cats are wonderful companions....especially for the elderly and children.
Pet therapy can help relieve stress (personal experience) and may be beneficial for people with depression, anxiety and also in disease management.

2. Personal development
You or your children can also learn alot from these gentle creatures such as humanity, love and responsibilities.

3. Healthy heart and blood pressure
Whenever we are stressed out at work, we can alway carry and hug our cat......i can practically feel my tension easing and my blood pressure dropping....serious. Juling is my stress ball...so to speak. My husband always say that she is a 'village bicycle' as we normally take turns to carry and hug her........without any resistance whatsoever......i guess Juling must be thinking "resistance is futile......"

4. Self-esteem
A local study conducted in UKM (collaboration with Sunway medical center) has demonstrated that there was a tendency for people with pets to generally have slightly higher self-esteem and self-efficacy as compared to people without pets.

5. Plus points as boyfriend material
Guys who rear pets are deemed to be more caring, responsible and selfless.........see how he treats animal and you can gauge how well he treats others.

6. Assist the handicapped

Countdown to the year-end break

Seven more working days and I am off .........clearing my leave for the year. Not to say that i did not plan my leave any better but i normally like to clear them in December. Hence, I planned this since March ok.......

Somehow, work always seem to creep up at the very last moment. "We are launching this product next month, can you work on it now?", "I know you will be away, but i need your team to handle this", "We have this last minute roadshow request from a doctor" .......and the requests go on and on..............argh.....

Year end is awfully stressful for many of us as we are not just anticipating bonus and increments but also planning where to go on our long break. I remember vividly my last two trips that caused me visits to the doctor and MCs. I am not sure whether is it due to the ageing process or simply dehydration, but on both occasions, I ended up with a bad case of stomach flu and had to stay home for the rest of the holiday season.

I am abit phobic right now if you ask me to sit on a plane for hours, for fear i will get another case of the flu again. I guess it is true that when you are traveling and seems to be on an amazing race of your own, your adrenaline level signals your immune system not to break down and only to fall apart after you have reached home.

I hope that the tips below offer some help for the avid travelers out there:

1. Always rehydrate your body. Dehydration can cause fatigue, mood swings and dry flaky skin (esp true if you are sitting in an aircraft cabin for hours). Drink at least 8 glasses of water a day.
2. Have sufficient rest/sleep. This will ensure that the body repairs itself from the day's onslaught.
3. Plan your trip to avoid unnecessary stress. Stress can be a trigger for poor immune system and not to mention, unhappy spouse/partner/friend.
4. Do bring along some vitamins and the most general would be vitamin C or just any antioxidants that may give your body a boost in energy and ward off sickness.
5. Go slow. Since Malaysians are practically a kiasu bunch of people, we ended up being so hyped up about seeing everything and neglecting (1) and (2) and thus like me, endured the consequences.
6. Eat at reputable and clean eateries. My family and I have had a few chronic cases of food poisoning that I do not wish to share (just too painful).
7. If you are prone to stomach upset, you can try probiotics (friendly bacteria) available in capsule form.
8. Pack healthy snacks such as fruits and salads as these will provide you the essential vitamins and minerals. Good options if you intend to go for picnics in the parks.
9. Ext to item (7) - Carry a mini first aid kit which consists of the following items; paracetamol, carbon pills, 'minyak angin', plasters of various sizes and counterpain cream.
10. When things don't go as planned, just go with the flow............

Happy holidays to everybody!

Dearly departed

I was up in Genting for an off-site meeting when i heard about the news......"What! how? when?"

The festive and happy mood changed abruptly to a solemn one. My ex-director has passed on at a tender age of 52.

We weren't really that close but interacting with and working for him was really a privilege as most of us looked up to him as a mentor and father figure.

"Heard that it was due to a heart attack" replied my colleague.

Heart problem (CVD) is the number one killer in Malaysia. Genetics, ageing and certain diseases such as diabetes and high blood pressure are common risk factors.

Modifiable risk factors (factors that you can control and change) such as stress, food intake and lifestyle changes could help reduce the risk. Many people have suffered from heart attack or stroke and survived it, only to face complications such as paralysis and lost of quality of life. Others, are not so lucky ..........they passed on.

Health tips on managing CVD:

1. Maintain ideal body weight (check your BMI from my last few posts)
2. Do not smoke
3. Limit alcohol consumption (as not to go overboard)
4. Exercise (helps lose weight, relieves stress and keeps the heart healthy)
5. Diet (go for more grains, vege and fruits...reduce intake of red meat, animal products and saturated fats)
6. Go for regular check-ups
7. If you noticed that you are having unexplained chest pains that radiate to the neck, shoulders and back, see a doctor immediately
8. Supplement your diet with Omega-3 fish oil (Omega-3 exerts anti-inflammatory actions and helps keep the circulatory system healthy by reducing blood pressure and blood lipids)
9. Manage stress wisely. Indulge in your favourite hobby such as listening to the music, yoga, reading, going for movies ...........(i am starting to enjoy more quiet activities such as fishing and my husband is into birding nowadays)
10. Be extra careful if you are suffering from high blood sugar, hypertension, obesity (esp around the waist), high cholesterol and TG levels which are collectively known as Syndrome X. Practising steps 1 to 9 may reduce your risks for CVD