Are you happy? Is your pet happy? And just what is happiness? 

Take a look at our pets and you know that money does not buy them happiness.

Like every human toddler whose been given the most expensive Christmas present that their parents can afford, our cats prefer to play with the box! Dogs don’t care about their Gucci collar; humans do.

So, what can pets teach us about happiness?

Live in the moment, when you are able to, and enjoy yourself. Experience POSITIVE emotions.

There is no one better than our pets at living in the moment. They do not lament the past or wonder what is going to happen tomorrow or next year. They live for the day, the hour, the minute! And they do so on many occasions with extremely positive emotions. They give in to happiness and let it show all over their faces (well at least dogs do!), their body language and their behaviour.

Just think of that moment where you return home and your dog greets you, like they have not seen you for 3 weeks! This is living in the moment.

Since being with our pets, stroking them and spending time with them helps release happiness molecules, perhaps this is something that we should do as often as possible. Our blood pressure is also reduced and our stress levels lowered, which can only contribute towards a state of happiness.

EXPRESS YOUR GRATITUDE TO YOUR PET TOO!

While this might seem a little strange for some people, it has been shown to increase our levels of happiness. While you are expressing your gratitude, make sure that you are doing so to your pets too. After all, they are helping you be healthy, stay fit, have company and being non-judgemental over everything you do.

Enjoy your pets and be happy!

courtesy: Dr Jo Righetti - pet behaviouralist expert