Americans love their pets. A recent survey by the American Veterinary
Medical Association (AVMA) shows that more than 57% of U.S. households
include one or more animals as pets. Many pet lovers intuitively
appreciate that quality of life is enhanced from the relationships with
animal companions. Numerous scientific studies performed over the past
25 years confirm that physical and emotion health is improved when life
is shared with a loved pet.
“Pet ownership is good for your health both physically and
psychologically”, says Connecticut psychologist Herbert Neiburg, author
of Pet Loss: A Thoughtful Guide for Adults and Children
(HarperCollins). Additionally, the CDC identifies the following health
benefits of pet companionship: decreases in blood pressure, cholesterol
levels, triglyceride levels (indicators of heart disease); and feelings
of loneliness.
Having pets reduce stress immensely. A study recently published in the
Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine showed pet interaction reduces the
amount of stress related hormones. Additionally, these positive effects
are experienced faster than the impact of many drugs taken for stress.
The decrease in stress hormones occurred after only 5 to 24 minutes of
pleasantly interacting with a dog. Other studies have shown that when
people are asked to do a stressful task, having their pet with them
lowers their stress levels even more than having a supportive friend or
their spouse close by.
Pets can help prevent loneliness and isolation. They provide
unconditional love, companionship and the opportunity for close
connection. Pets encourage playfulness and often revive a sense of fun
and adventure in their owners. Physical contact is important to good
mental health and loved animal companions provide an opportunity for
hugs and touch that might otherwise be missing.
Pets have been found to be especially therapeutic for people with mood
and anxiety disorders. Dog ownership has been implicated in helping to
alleviate symptoms of depression among terminally ill patients, the
elderly, and veterans suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
(PTSD).
Elders can be particularly at risk of becoming lonely, isolated and
depressed. Research looked at people 60 and older, who lived alone.
The likelihood that a non-pet owner would be diagnosed as clinically
depressed was four times higher than that found in the pet owning people
of the same age. There was also evidence that these older pet owners
required fewer medical services and were generally more satisfied with
their lives.
Children benefit greatly from the relationships with pets. Some studies
have suggested that children with pets have higher self-esteem and
lower levels of fear than those from pet-free homes. New research in
the journal Pediatrics, shows that children who live in a home with a
pet during their first year of life are more likely to be healthier.
“It’s more support in a growing body of evidence that exposure to pets
early in life can stimulate the immune system to do a better job of
fighting off infection,” Dr. Danielle Fisher, of St. John’s Health
Center in Santa Monica, California.
Additionally children learn responsibility, compassion, and empathy from
having pets. Pets are never critical and don’t give orders. They
always love and provide a sense of security. Studies have shown that
pets can help calm hyperactive or overly aggressive children.
As wonderful and beneficial as life with pets can be, it is not for
everyone. Owning a pet is comforting only for those who love and
appreciate domestic animals. If you’re simply not a “pet person”, pet
ownership is not going to provide you with any therapeutic benefits or
improve your life.
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