Pet therapy

Spent a couple of hours this weekend talking to a friend who is doing a college project about clinical depression and pet therapy.  It seems such a beneficial thing that I'm surprised it hasn't been studied more.  We have two cats, and they're a big help.  It is a lot harder to be depressed when cat #1 is intent on climbing into Hubby's Doc Martens and all you can see are back legs kicking and the tail stump.  Likewise when cat #2 tears across the kitchen in pursuit of a ball, skids, falls over, and does an undignified slide across the floor.  They require you to, at the very least, get up and feed them.  Brushing them is relaxing, playing with them is a reminder that there are good things out there, and pets love you no matter what.  It's not a cure, but it is a positive thing when your brain is tossing out negatives.  There's a cat curled up next to the laptop, purring.  She's not the most sociable of animals, but she like to be near people, within arm's reach.  That helps.