The following was submitted By Ashley Eastway. Ashley holds a BA in Zoology from Michigan State University. She is currently working in her field in Gatlinburge Tennesee.
For me animal therapy has always been a part of my life. The first example of this that I can remember was when we got our first cats Luna and Moses. They were both thrown out into the desert by some ranch owner because they had defects. Luna had a T-shaped tail and Moses had a stub tail and extra toes. They were so young that we had to bottle feed them both for them to live. Because of this they were both very bonded to us. I had never before had an animal that needed me and over the years they returned the favor. Moses could always tell when I was upset and would always find me if I was crying. I can't tell you the number of times I cried into his fur and could hear him purr. There was a feeling of relief I felt just knowing that he loved me as much as I loved him.
Since then I have had many pets and worked with all sorts of animals for my career. The one thing I can say that all these animals have in common is their ability to make me laugh. The greatest thing I get from working with animals is their ability to lift my mood when I am down.
My current rescue cat, Tabasco Kitten, I found at the zoo I was working at. We pulled her out of a hole in the ground that was behind my turtle exhibit. She was covered in fleas and starving. I knew as soon as I saw her that she would be mine. I got her home and cleaned up and have now had her for a few months. She is my little alarm clock and every morning motivates me to wake up. It may sound crazy, but when I have a bad day I can think of her, and just know that everything will be ok, because she will be in my home, happy and ready for cuddles when I get there. Animals just make the home so full of energy. This, I guess, is how my animals have made my life better and have aided me in coping with life.
For me animal therapy has always been a part of my life. The first example of this that I can remember was when we got our first cats Luna and Moses. They were both thrown out into the desert by some ranch owner because they had defects. Luna had a T-shaped tail and Moses had a stub tail and extra toes. They were so young that we had to bottle feed them both for them to live. Because of this they were both very bonded to us. I had never before had an animal that needed me and over the years they returned the favor. Moses could always tell when I was upset and would always find me if I was crying. I can't tell you the number of times I cried into his fur and could hear him purr. There was a feeling of relief I felt just knowing that he loved me as much as I loved him.
Since then I have had many pets and worked with all sorts of animals for my career. The one thing I can say that all these animals have in common is their ability to make me laugh. The greatest thing I get from working with animals is their ability to lift my mood when I am down.
My current rescue cat, Tabasco Kitten, I found at the zoo I was working at. We pulled her out of a hole in the ground that was behind my turtle exhibit. She was covered in fleas and starving. I knew as soon as I saw her that she would be mine. I got her home and cleaned up and have now had her for a few months. She is my little alarm clock and every morning motivates me to wake up. It may sound crazy, but when I have a bad day I can think of her, and just know that everything will be ok, because she will be in my home, happy and ready for cuddles when I get there. Animals just make the home so full of energy. This, I guess, is how my animals have made my life better and have aided me in coping with life.
Thank your Ashley. Tabasco Kitten is a very lucky kitty.
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