When little Pixie, my beloved spaniel, came into my life a year or so ago, it was for one main reason. To be kissed! Well, two reasons actually…to also be put on a peddle stool! We knew from the first night she came home with us, our eight week-old bundle of joy, that she would enjoy a life of affection and be thoroughly spoilt.

However, I don’t see that just giving your pet the best care that you can afford is spoiling them, because they give far more than they could ever take. Our pets love us unconditionally, and Pixie is now well-rehearsed at lending a stranger a paw for comfort.

Nowadays pets do far more than their incredible work with blind or deaf people. They are bought into care homes and hospices to comfort and cuddle, they can smell emergencies, and are taken into schools to relieve stress. In a recent article I read, even the humble chicken has been called in to lend a wing in a retirement home in Cambridgeshire.

There are support dogs too, such as Raider, who looked after one of the children in the recent US Turpin family case.

When animals are treated with the equal respect of a human being, they have a remarkable knack of effortlessly being able to tune into a humans emotions. A great example being Brandy the dog in ‘Afterlife’ by Ricky Gervais.

I cannot reiterate enough, the power of pets – I consider Pixie to be my antidepressant. So it’s no wonder that she is smothered with kisses – I call it “kiss therapy” and I’ve even devised a mindfulness exercise with her. This is what I do: I cover her in kisses and blow “hot potatoes” onto her silky soft coat. She’s so affectionate that she puts her arm actually around my shoulders (I call it “healing mummy”) – I take in her scent, massage her paws (at this stage she’s lost in bliss) and doing this truly helps to settle the chaos of my thoughts…

If you don’t have access to a pet, and don’t know anyone who owns one, then I’d highly recommend considering volunteering for a local animal charity. They are frequently short-staffed and spending time with our fury cousins is truly a magical tonic!