27/07/2025

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just about feeding and housing a pet. It can and should be nurtured daily,” she said. “Speak kindly and consistently. Schedule regular playtime. Use positive reinforcement. Don’t underestimate the power of grooming and physical care – it creates opportunity for gentle touch and bonding.” She also noted a growing curiosity about animal-assisted therapy (AAT), although its progress in Malaysia is limited. “While AAT has gained significant traction overseas, in Malaysia, it’s still in early development. Therapy animals are often assumed to be dogs, which are not universally accepted here. Perhaps it is time to study possible applications of AAT using animals other than dogs, within our local context.” Lee points to grassroots efforts that give her hope: “Some small-scale initiatives by NGOs and private therapy centres are already underway. We’re hopeful that with regulation, government support and collaboration with mental health practitioners, AAT can one day be part of accepted therapy in Malaysia.” For now, she sees pets as more than companions. “They are silent healers. In a world filled with noise and demands, they offer quiet understanding, loyalty and emotional presence. Sometimes, that’s exactly what we need to feel whole again.” linked pet ownership to lower blood pres sure, reduced loneliness and improved emotional regulation. You don’t need a clinical trial to know what any long-time pet owner can tell you. When your day falls apart, your cat doesn’t ÀLQFK :KHQ \RXU DQ[LHW\ VSLNHV \RXU dog still sits beside you. When you feel like the world has moved on without you, your hamster still waits for its breakfast. T KH\ ZRQ¶W ¿[ HYHU\WKLQJ %XW WKH\ R̆ HU something almost nothing else can in our chaotic, hyper-digital world – quiet, non verbal companionship. No judgement. No performance. Just a tail, a nudge, a stare, a purr. A reminder that you’re still here. Still loved. Even when your to-do list isn’t done. You don’t have to delete all your apps or abandon technology to reclaim that presence. But you can borrow a bit of your pet’s rhythm. Sit still. Do one thing at a time. Breathe deeply. Say nothing. Watch the light change in the room. Let the dog sleep in your lap a little longer than planned. Because in a world of dopamine loops and short attention spans, that kind of stillness isn’t laziness, it’s rebellion. Pets don’t judge. They don’t scroll. They don’t ask you to be “on brand”. They’re messy, chaotic, funny, gentle, occasionally annoying and deeply honest. Which, if \RX WKLQN DERXW LW LV H[DFWO\ ZKDW ZH¶YH been missing. S R WKH QH[W WLPH WKH ZRUOG JHWV ORXG WKH VFUROO JHWV HQGOHVV DQG WKH QRWL¿FDWLRQV won’t stop, put your phone down. Turn R̆ WKH QHZV $QG VLW ZLWK \RXU DQLPDO No hashtags. No headlines. Just presence.

people. We send hugs as emojis. But a dog curled against your leg or a cat’s fur XQGHU \RXU ¿QJHUV EULQJV \RX ULJKW EDFN into your body. Even basic care – such as brushing, bathing and feeding – pulls you away from your head and into your hands. It’s not about being useful. It’s about being human. The quiet repair work of pets T KH EHQH¿WV JR IDU EH\RQG VHQWLPHQWDOLW\ Around the world and increasingly in Malaysia, pets are being embraced not just as companions, but as partners in mental wellbeing. Therapy dogs are now used in universi ties and elderly care centres. Research has

Our lives have become dominated by the idea of optimisation. Smart devices. Smart homes. Smart goals. But pets are gloriously unproductive. Your cat doesn’t help you hit KPIs. Your rabbit won’t help you plan Q4 strategy. Your dog doesn’t care how many unread messages you’ve got – they just want to be with you. They demand you stop. Pause. Laugh at something ridiculous. Take a walk. Lie in the sun. Look out the window. Just ... be. In doing so, they give us something precious, a glimpse of life beyond the metrics. They also reintroduce us to something the tech era has quietly taken from us: touch. We tap screens more than we touch

Modern life optimises everything. Your pet just wants you to sit still.”

Silent healers in a noisy world IN an era of relentless screen time, emotional disconnection and pixel-heavy routines, the quiet companionship of pets may be one of the few things still anchoring Malaysians to the present.

Malaysia. “Many of my clients, particularly those living alone, tell me how their pets make them feel less isolated and more emotionally grounded. One pet owner told me, ‘After a stressful day, just seeing my cat waiting at the door melts everything away’.” Lee believes that animals can subtly guide us back into the present. “Pets help people reconnect with the present. Animals live entirely in the ‘now’ – they’re not concerned about yesterday or worried about tomorrow. When we engage with them, we’re encouraged to slow down, focus on simple moments and reconnect with our emotional states.” She has also seen pets playing key roles in healing. “I’ve observed remarkable emotional shifts in individuals who adopt pets during periods of personal crisis – after a breakup, the loss of a loved one or during episodes of depression. That sense of responsibility and unconditional love often becomes the first step toward emotional healing. As one client put it, ‘Even when no one understands me, my dog stays by my side’.” While the emotional benefits are clear, Lee believes the bond between pets and humans must be nurtured intentionally. “The human-animal bond isn’t

“In Malaysia’s high-stress culture, especially among working adults and students, pets often serve as emotional anchors,” said Dr Lee Wai Wai, certified Pet First Aid Instructor and founder of PetMedic