‘My cats were there for me’: pets helped breast cancer survivor through diagnosis, treatment and recovery, and that’s backed up by science
- Pets can help seriously or terminally ill patients feel better about themselves, give them a sense of purpose and comfort them, a psychologist says
- Cancer survivor Cindy Cheng says her cats made her feel accepted, especially on her worst days. ‘I poured my heart out to them and they returned the love’
Over the following 12 months, Cheng underwent chemotherapy, surgery to remove a lump in her left breast, and targeted therapy, similar to chemotherapy but less invasive. During this time, she worried about how the treatments would affect her and whether her condition would worsen.
“I knew the cancer was treatable, but I was still scared about what would happen to me,” says the part-time lecturer and English teacher, who lives in Hong Kong’s Tuen Mun district.
She was also facing personal relationship issues and having trouble with her insurance company, leaving her frustrated and angry as well. Despite her emotionally fragile state, she told herself to stay strong to get through the challenging times.
Cheng doesn’t know how she would have coped without her cats. Not only did they give her the strength to beat the disease, they also motivated her to fight to recover.