For the Love of Pets: Inspiring Stories and Helpful Tips from PawCulture {#PawCulture #Sponsored}

This post is sponsored by PawCulture™ and the BlogPaws® Pet Influencer Network™. I am being compensated to help share PawCulture but we only share information we feel is relevant to our readers. PawCulture is not responsible for the content of this article.

Let's talk pets! 

I don't know about you, but it seems like every time I open my social media there is yet another feel good pet story. You know the ones I mean- service members coming home from long deployments to be greeted by their beloved pets, pet rescue stories, cute cats and dogs showing love to little ones- or each other. There are too many to count, and people seem to love them. Or at least, MOST people.

Me? I didn't really get it. I mean, sure, they were sweet enough stories I suppose, but why did people love them so much? I wasn't a pet person, so I didn't really get it. At all. Not until I had an inspiring pet story of my own. 

Meet Stella.

Stella came into our lives quite by surprise, showing up in the street in front of our house. Normally, I'd have paid her no mind...like I said, I wasn't a pet person. But something about this little kitten drew me in. While we don't live on a busy cul de sac, she was small and I worried that she might get hit by those few cars that would come through during the day. So, we brought her inside to get warm while my daughter and I got dressed and set out to find her owners. Door to door we went, knocking and asking if anyone was missing this beautiful cat. No one claimed her. She walked with us side by side, quite a natural fit. In fact, one neighbor commented to us that it seemed she'd found her home already. Still, we knew we couldn't keep her. We are renters and our lease didn't allow pets without a hefty deposit and more in rent every month, something that just wasn't in our budget. And so we searched...

After a while, we decided to take a break and head back home... just in time for a phone call from my oldest son's school asking me to pick him up. You see, my son is autistic and some days are harder for him than others. This was one of those days, he couldn't settle, couldn't focus and ultimately couldn't get anything done. Off to school we went, kitten in tow. Immediately upon picking her up, his whole demeanor changed. He was calm, he was happy, he was focused. He came home and didn't ask for electronics as he normally would, but instead snuggled up on the couch with her. All. Day. Long. His meltdowns that he'd been having all day had stopped, he even slept through the night, kitten on chest. I snapped the photo below on her first day with us, and the look of contentment speaks volumes. When the search for a rightful owner turned up empty, it seemed as though maybe she found us for a reason. It was an easy decision to go through the process to have Stella registered as an official Emotional Support Animal for him.

Now, I GET it. I get why people love these inspirational pet stories. I get that pets aren't just any ol' animal, but that they truly have a place in your heart and your home. I get that when you're a pet person, you like to read about other pets. For the people who love their pets, PawCulture™has those stories. Take for instance this fantastic story I found about how a service dog brought peace and calm to a veteran struggling with PTSD. My husband is a veteran as well, so this story resonated with me not only as a military wife, but as someone who had now firsthand seen how much a pet could make a difference. I loved reading stories like this one to show me that there are other amazing animals out there like Stella who are also making a huge impact in the health and wellness of their owners. 

But beyond that...did I mention I wasn't a pet person? I wasn't kidding! I truly did not know the first thing about having a cat in the home, and like a first time mom all over again, I found myself searching for all things cat. Health, foods, toys, pet tips... what had I gotten myself into!? For the new and the experienced, PawCulture offered tips for every pet owner. I cannot tell you how useful those have been for me. So many times I've found myself searching the house wondering where on earth Stella was now. Had the door been opened? Had she snuck out!? Was she gone forever? The article '7 Places Your Cat is Probably Hiding'...nailed it! What a sanity saver! Or how about all those times when she seemed to be looking at me, wanting SOMETHING, but I just couldn't quite figure out WHAT!? 'How to Understand Your Cat: Mastering the Art of Feline Communication' was a game changer! 

From the useful to the funny to the inspiring, PawCulture is a fantastic resource. Celebrate the unbreakable bond between pets and their people by visiting PawCulture for information, inspiration, entertainment, helpful tips and advice about loving your pet.

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Are you a pet lover? Which articles on PawCulture are you most interested in?

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of PawCulture. The opinions and text are all mine.