Pets can make the perfect companion for those struggling with mental health issues like anxiety… including pets themselves!
Whenever Horlicks the golden retriever was left home alone, he seemed to hate every second of it. So much so, in fact, that his owner sought out ways to relieve her poor pup from his separation anxiety.
“When he celebrated his birthday,” Horlicks’ owner said, “I thought that another sibling is going to help him with all this separation anxiety.”
And so Hero the kitten was welcomed into the family!
To make sure neither of them became too overwhelmed, their initial meeting was brief. But later that same day, Hero began to explore the house and get to know his new sibling.
The tiny kitten wasn’t quite sure how to feel about the unfamiliar creature at first, especially since he was so much larger than him. But that skepticism quickly grew into a beautiful friendship.
“Horlicks was able to say ‘hi’ and meet up with Hero,” she said. “He then starts to realize that Horlicks is a gentle giant. And that’s when their relationship really picked up.”
Nowadays, Horlicks and Hero are an inseparable duo – they eat together, sleep together, and even love taking walks alongside their human.
Hero is even trying to learn how to play catch with his big brother! Though Horlicks is fine with a game of “letting my little brother attack my tail as I playfully swat him back.”
Once it was clear that these two get along, their human decided to officially test how effective Hero was at soothing Holicks’ separation anxiety. She started off small, only leaving them alone for about 30 minutes.
But as soon as she came back home, the difference in Horlicks was clear! Her once anxious pup was now able to relax whenever his human needed to go out.
“Hero is a very secure cat,” she said. “They tend to influence each other. So I think Horlicks has now improved in terms of the separation anxiety.”
Horlicks and Hero’s adventures can be found on their social media accounts where they’ve garnered thousands of followers, not only because they’re insanely cute, but because the connection these two have is so heartwarming.
“You can see that they love each other,” she said. “They have that strong feeling for each other.”
Don’t forget to share this article with a friend.
Want to be happier in just 5 minutes a day? Sign up for Morning Smile and join over 455,000+ people who start each day with good news.