After three months of a seemingly endless lockdown, it’s time to switch from all the heavy talk of the pandemic to something light and heartwarming: the joys and perks of owning a pet, from lifelong personal experience.

From when I was six to now, I can’t remember a time I didn’t own a pet of some kind—a cat, a dog, a parrot and even small birds or yellow baby ducks which were sold in small bamboo cages or baskets in the public market.

When my boyhood friends and I caught frogs, beetles, dragonflies or grasshoppers, we also tried to make them “pets” by keeping them in boxes or glass jars, and feeding them bread crumbs, rice or blades of grass, trying to keep them alive for as long as possible. Of course this was a futile effort, and the hapless creatures didn’t last more than a few days. I’m sure many of today’s seniors can relate to these boyhood experiments.

What has separated me from most pet lovers I know is that I enjoy training my pets, an added dimension to the enjoyment of owning one.

I discovered this unique satisfaction when I was six, with my first-ever real pet, an ordinary household kitten given by a neighbor. Not knowing many cat names at that age, I called it Muning, which I probably got from what was every child’s Philippine schoolbook of that time, the “Pepe and Pilar” series.

Needing a playmate at home, I presumed in my child’s mind that all pets were supposed to be intelligent. So I taught my kitten how to play hide-and-seek with me! I would leave Muning in one place and then run to hide somewhere far in our house. Invariably, after a few minutes he would surprise me in my hiding place with a loud “Meow!” with his back arched, signaling he had found me. It was loads of fun for a 6-year-old “pet trainer.”

Pets through the years

Through the years and up to now, most of my pets, aside from the occasional parrot, parakeet or exotic fish, have been dogs. One of the most lovable and intelligent was a mixed-breed French poodle I named Toffee. I taught her how to dance on her hind legs when I whistled or played a tune on the guitar. More amazingly, at my command, she would go up the vertical rungs of the children’s slide in our garden, sit at the top, and then slide down when I gave the signal.

But more than all this was Toffee’s limitless patience, almost like that of a nanny, with my growing children. She never showed any sign of anger or annoyance when they were all over her, pulled her tail or tried to ride her. Toffee didn’t have a mean bone in her, and she gave us as much affection and pleasure as any pet could give. It was a sad day when she went to her final sleep on her 17th year.

After a succession of pets through the years, each with his/her unique personality and talents, today we have three dogs and one cat.

The cat, named Cooper, is the one my youngest daughter, Bianca (who grew up feeding strays that wandered into our house), brought home some years back when she almost ran over a kitten scared frozen in the middle of the road.

The three dogs are a Siberian Husky named Keira (named after one of our favorite actresses, Keira Knightley), whose main claim to fame is her regal beauty and her papers attesting to lofty pedigree, given to Bianca as a gift; and two Japanese Spitzes, a mother and daughter, Hershey and Tizzy (the latter is half-Pomeranian).

As usual, these pets have been trained to do their special acts, before being rewarded with their favorite bacon-flavored tidbits.

To the tune of “Limbo Rock,” Hershey twirls around on her hind legs when she hears “twirly-whirly,” or rolls on the ground three times when she hears “Roll!”

Tizzy does a series of skips in sync with the beat. Among all the dogs I have had, Tizzy is the one whose demonstrations of affection cannot be surpassed. Even after I say “Enough for today,” she keeps stroking my arm with her paw, hungry for more attention. Her unbridled insistence for affection is so heart-tugging that I can’t help but give in.

Wonderful benefits

These personal experiences with pets are probably more convincing than citing the enormous body of research which proves the wonderful benefits of having these companions at home. But as confirmation, studies from the lab of Dr. Kerstin Uvnäs-Moberg at the Uppsala University in Sweden show that people who interact with animals on a regular basis are more prone to increased levels of the “trust and love” hormone, oxytocin, which helps to establish a greater sense of intimacy in couples, and has been attributed to increased feelings of optimism, self-esteem and trust.

There is also evidence that bonding with a pet reduces blood pressure, helps you feel relaxed and calm, and can raise levels of dopamine, the “feel-good” brain chemical, and decreases levels of cortisol, the “stress” hormone. (“The Healing Power of Animals,” whatsyourgrief.com).

Those of us, especially seniors, who love pets and are fortunate to have them around in these trying times of indefinite isolation, will surely attest to the many benefits of having these furry creatures to keep us company. They are there for us in both good times and bad, their loyalty is unconditional, and their sole agenda is centered on us.

If you are one of those who have never experienced the joys of owning a pet but are open to new discoveries, it’s not too late to get yourself one.

As my daughter Bianca, who is ensconced with her husband Quark in their condo unit with their two delightful feline “babies,” wrote: “Having a pet is one of the best ways to combat loneliness, especially at this time when we are all self-isolating and social distancing. That companionship in the form of an extra heartbeat and a wagging tail in the house makes all the difference.”