I am totally convinced that the mind has an enormous influence on the health of the body. I have seen this play out in my patients for 20 years. But I wanted to share my light bulb moment story with you, the one that really convinced me early on in my career that our thoughts really do matter. Hopefully, it will give you pause (or paws) for thought.

I was a young vet, maybe three years out of school, and a lovely lady brought in her beautiful three-year-old ginger neutered male cat who was having issues with cystitis.

He would pass small amounts of urine which was tinged with blood. I examined him, took a urine sample and indeed found he had blood in the urine, and some bacteria.

He was otherwise bright and happy, eating normally and playful. I treated him and sent him home. Job done, or so I thought.

Two weeks later, he was back again. Same symptoms, but otherwise OK. This time I also ran some blood work to check his kidney function and look for other abnormalities, but everything was normal.

I took a quick radiograph to make sure his bladder was OK, which it was. I again treated the symptoms and off he went.

Two weeks later, he came through the doors again with the exact same symptoms. I scratched my head and admitted to his lovely owner that I was stumped and didn’t know what to do next.

We pulled up a stool in the little consult room and started to chat about his home life.

Suddenly, his owner burst into tears, and she started to tell me how her mother had recently passed away after a long illness.

She had been her primary carer and it had taken a significant emotional toll. She was clearly still grieving and was grateful to talk it though with me.

She told me how her little ginger cat had been marvellous through it all, always there for a hug when she felt down.

He had been sitting with her and her mum during the end stages of her illness and had been by her side through the nights as she cried after her mum passed.

It was then that I finally understood what had happened.

This sweet cat had taken on all that grief and pain and had made his owner feel better with his affection. But the stress of that had caused the urinary symptoms in him. His mind had made his body sick.

I asked his owner to slightly change her approach to him and try to be in a good mood before stroking him or sitting with him and redirecting her grief in other ways.

His symptoms vanished, he never had cystitis again and he lived a long and happy life in her wonderful care.

I learnt two important lessons from this experience. Firstly, I started to think about visiting pets in their own homes, so I had a better understanding of their environment and what they were experiencing.

Secondly, I learnt the enormous role that the mind plays in our health and the health of our pets, and that there is an inextricable link between the two.

I have seen countless other cases since this one that have reinforced the importance of good thoughts in the healthy patient.

A peaceful mind leads to a peaceful body, and it is possible to train your thoughts towards the good and the positive and away from the negative, but it takes a conscious effort.

Your health and the health of your pets will greatly benefit from your positive state of mind.

• Lucy Richardson graduated from Edinburgh University in 2005. She started CedarTree Vets in August 2012 with her husband, Mark. They live at the practice with their two children, Ray and Stella, and their dog, two cats and two guinea pigs. She is also the FEI national head veterinarian for Bermuda