Your Pet, Your Pill: A Book Review
After losing my heart cat Dusty and my first cat Precious, I longed to feel joy once more. When grieving, it takes time, and honestly, your day-to-day varies. Some days I would feel hopeful, and other days, not so much. I have previously discussed different ways of coping with grief after pet loss, including painting, cooking recipes, fostering animals, and reading books. Speaking of reading, I was contacted regarding providing an honest book review of Your Pet, Your Pill: 101 Inspirational Stories about how pets lead you to a happy, healthy, and successful life.
With a title like that, I was intrigued. Then I thought about it again and deduced, if food is thy medicine, then let our pets be our source for everything good that helps us thrive. I awaited receipt of this book in the mail. Upon receiving the package, I opened it to find the book of 101 inspirational stories and a matching workbook for pet lovers.
This post is sponsored. In exchange for a copy of Your Pet, Your Pill book of inspirational stories and workbook, I will share my honest opinion.
About the author
Dr. Margit Gabriele Muller Med Vet MRCVS MBA is the author of Your Pet, Your Pill: 101 Inspirational Stories about how pets lead you to a happy, healthy, and successful life. A seasoned veterinarian with over 25 years of experience in the field, life coach, and speaker, Dr. Muller has served as Executive Director and Chief veterinarian at Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital in the United Arab Emirates since 2001.
Dr. Muller shares her personal story and background about how having pets helped shape her life when diving into the book. She lived with her mother, who suffered from mental illness. Having pets in her life helped her cope with a tough childhood and brought her joy.
Her heart dogs, Shams and Shamsa, profoundly changed her life by teaching her invaluable lessons in strength, confidence, joy, and what it means to have unconditional love and support. By the time she began to build her career, her pets not only brought her happiness and comfort but also helped her build confidence and stamina. This enabled her to push through obstacles, break barriers and create new realities for herself.
As an animal lover and advocate for pet wellness, Dr. Muller’s purpose in writing this book is to share with the world just how impactful animals’ lives are in the lives of humanity for the better. She hopes that humans genuinely see and value how much pets do for us in our lives – emotionally, physically, and spiritually.
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Topics Covered
After reading about the author, I could relate. I know personally that my heart cat Dusty was so chill. She was the definition of unconditional love, go with the flow, confident with a little bit of sass. My first cat Precious was quite the diva. However, she always showed such care and support instinctively when she knew I was suffering. Both my cats were such a great support system for me in so many trying and difficult times. I do not know how I would have coped without having them nearby to comfort and soothe me with their purrs and goofy antics.
Just as I have had such positive experiences with my pets in the past, Dr. Muller shares multiple ways in which pets impact our lives in her book Your Pet, Your Pill.
So, I am sure you are curious, what does this book cover? If you ask me, it covers just about everything. In this delightful read, you will find a collection of over one hundred short stories about how pets help heal, bring comfort, and add an impactful meaningful change to our lives.
There are over 101 topics covered; however, the book is sectioned into three main parts.
Part 1: Pets and Happiness
Part one of the text explores all the ways how pets help bring happiness to our lives. Through storytelling from her own perspective, we see how pets provide happiness through physical activity, social interaction, and laughter. Having them be a part of our lives also impacts our stress levels and hormones too.
Part 2: Pets and Health
Part two of the book explores how having pets and interacting with animals aids our health and well-being. Sharing testimonials from other pet parents, we learn how pets give seniors purpose and give support to children with autism. They assist those with disabilities, illnesses, and physical limitations. This section of the book showcases the powerful impact pets have on our ability to cope and practice wellness.
Part 3: Pets and Success
Lastly, part three of the book explores how animals impact our professional and personal success. Pets teach us valuable lifelong lessons in building self-esteem, practicing perseverance, improving communication skills, and more. Having animals as a part of your life helps you become more responsible, practice empathy for others, and learn humility.
Additionally, the book included a workbook that acts as an aid for the reader to go on a journey to self-discovery. The workbook explores many of the topics covered in the book and how they relate to your situation. The workbook is more of a journal-style question-and-answer format for animal lovers to gain some introspection and insight. I found that to be a bonus.
My Thoughts
I found Your Pet, Your Pill book of inspirational stories to be an easy and delightful read. I did not know what to expect; however, I felt it would be beneficial based on the title alone, and my assumption was correct.
What I liked and appreciated about Your Pet, Your Pill was that it was entertaining and explored the benefits of pets’ impact on us physically. Additionally, in sharing many of the stories and topics, Dr. Muller begins each chapter with an informational fun fact or science-based snippet of information for the reader. I personally appreciated reading evidence-based information and learning along the way.
As a bereaved pet parent reading this book, I could relate to many of the personal stories from Dr. Muller and other pet parents. Your Pet, Your Pill shares the personal experiences of Dr. Muller and many other pet parents she has had the pleasure of interacting with along her journey. That unique, relatable connection to their stories made this an enjoyable read.
Learning about the many ways animals impact our lives beyond joy and laughter was very encouraging and uplifting. They give us purpose, strength, and unconditional love. By the time I finished reading the book, I had gained an even deeper love and appreciation for animals.
I think pets are OUR teachers for many of the important lessons we learn in life.
Conclusion
I give this read two thumbs up! This book is entertaining and informational. I would recommend it to any pet lover, including bereaved pet parents. After reading this book, you cannot help but feel more inspired and optimistic about life. You will gain greater appreciation and gratitude for the life you shared with your furry best friend, past and present.
If you are a pet lover and love a good inspirational read, you can pick up your copy here on Amazon. I think it would make for a lovely gift idea as well.
To learn more about the author Dr. Margit Gabriele Muller, visit her website here.
Do you like inspirational reading? Are you aware of how pets positively impact our well-being? How has your pet changed your life?
Share your thoughts in the comments below.