My friend Lisa (not her real name, of course) complained for years about two things: her rocky relationship, and her cat’s puking.

The cat fix seemed like it should be easy (at least compared to the relationship), but nothing her vet suggested was effective. She brushed Tigger (not her real name either — do you think I want to be hissed at next time I go over?), gave her baths, changed her diet and did everything else she could think of, but Tiggs wasn’t buyin’ it. Tigger didn’t puke every day, and she didn’t always puke on the rug, but notwithstanding the regular mess to be cleaned up, it always niggled at the back of Lisa’s mind.

Her relationship with her partner was trickier. They went to couples therapy for a while, tried this and that, and then recently something happened between them and their whole relationship seemed to shift. She didn’t share all the details, just this interesting coincidence: Tigger has, for no apparent reason, stopped sending her dinner back up.

Is it possible that our animals take on the stress we feel? Certainly our human children do, so why wouldn’t the four-leggeds?

There’s plenty of information around about how pets can reduce stress in humans, and how people are less likely to suffer depression if they have a dog or cat, so clearly there’s good evidence that positive vibes pass from animals to humans.

Likewise, most of us have known at least one jumpy pound puppy that became grounded and calm in a loving home.

My own cat will start purring if I just talk to her in a certain tone of voice. Aloof and unaffectionate as a kitten, she’s turned into a total lover in her middle years, lolling on her back like a dog, with her soft underbelly exposed. I’m probably projecting, but she just seems so... sensitive!

Tons of websites talk about environmental stressors on pets, but I couldn’t find any to back up my theory that they also pick up emotional stress from us, their guardians. Maybe this cat’s change was random. Or maybe the way we are around our pets is just one more aspect of being the change we wish to see in the world.