House pets can provide a sense of companionship and stability for some people, but this is predicated on the owner having sufficient self-care skills and emotional stability, a therapist said, adding that otherwise, pet-keeping might become a source of pressure.
Tsai Yu-chien (蔡雨芊), an occupational therapist in Changhua Hospital’s Department of Psychiatry, made the remarks earlier this week in the wake of a recent case in which a 24-year-old man surnamed Chen (陳), with a history of psychiatric illness, adopted a cat, hoping that raising a pet would improve his condition, but instead suffered an emotional outburst and killed the cat by dashing it against the floor.
Owners must be able to interpret pets’ natural reactions to certain behaviors, and some with bipolar disorders or borderline personality traits have relatively low tolerance for setbacks, meaning that when pets exhibit behaviors of aloofness, resistance, or bite the owner, these people might interpret such signs as an act of rejection and could experience an explosive emotional reaction, Tsai said.
Photo courtesy of the New Taipei City Animal Protection and Health Inspection Office
People must first be able to care for themselves before caring for other life forms, she said.
While keeping pets as a therapeutic measure is a good beginning, people diagnosed with these symptoms should have family help them through the initial stages, she said.
Tsai also suggested growing plants as a substitute and a gauge of whether one has the emotional wherewithal to shoulder responsibility by watering them or inspecting them for pests.
Tsai shared previous cases in which a schizophrenic person whose symptoms had stabilized had successfully raised a kitten, adding, however, that patients must be considered stable, have systemic support and be willing to take things slow for such acts to have a positive outcome.
If patients experience signs of self-harm, harming others, or have a tendency to lose control, they should consult doctors and accept treatment, and not raise pets, she said.
Counseling psychologist Chou Hsin-yi (周欣儀) said that Chen had atypical bipolar disorder and has also been diagnosed with borderline personality traits, making his emotional attenuation capabilities chronically fragile.
Raising a cat might seem helpful when one is feeling empty or emotionally down, but when the pet’s instincts or reactions kick in, the owner’s mind might interpret the act as a threat or betrayal, which might result in violence, she said.
Chen had attempted to create an idealistic bond with the cat for a sense of security, but when that period of reliance ended, the cat would be seen as an enemy and no longer a savior, Chou said.
Actual therapy must be established when one is psychologically stable, and other life forms should not be treated as a therapeutic tool, Chou said.
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