Having a pet has several significant health advantages. Here are several ways that taking care of a dog, cat, or other pet can reduce stress, ease depression, and strengthen your heart.
The benefits of pets
The majority of pet owners are aware of the instant benefits of having companion animals in their lives. But many of us are still ignorant of the additional advantages to our physical and emotional well-being that come with cuddling with a furry buddy. The advantages of the relationship between humans and animals have only lately become the subject of scientific investigation.
Pets have developed a sensitive awareness of human behavior and emotions. For example, dogs can comprehend a large number of words humans say, but they are much more adept at reading our gestures, body language, and tonality. Additionally, a devoted dog will gaze into your eyes to determine your mental condition and attempt to comprehend what you’re thinking and feeling (and to work out when the next walk or treat might be coming, of course).
Pets, especially dogs and cats, can reduce stress, anxiety, and depression, ease loneliness, encourage exercise and playfulness, and even improve your cardiovascular health. Caring for an animal can help children grow up more secure and active. Pets also provide valuable companionship for older adults. Perhaps most importantly, though, a pet can add real joy and unconditional love to your life.
Any pet can improve your health
It is true that having a pet improves a person’s health more than not having one, but a pet doesn’t have to be a dog or a cat. If you want a cuddly companion to snuggle with but are allergic to other animals or have limited space, a rabbit can be the perfect choice. For older adults, birds can promote social contact and assist maintain mental acuity. Reptiles such as lizards and snakes can make interesting pets. Even simply gazing at fish in an aquarium can ease tense muscles and slow your heart rate.
Studies have shown that:
• Pet owners are less likely to suffer from depression than those without pets.
• People with pets have lower blood pressure in stressful situations than those without pets. One study even found that when people with borderline hypertension adopted dogs from a shelter, their blood pressure declined significantly within five months.
• Playing with a dog, cat, or other pet can elevate levels of serotonin and dopamine, which calm and relax.
• Pet owners have lower triglyceride and cholesterol levels (indicators of heart disease) than those without pets.
• Heart attack patients with pets survive longer than those without.
• Pet owners over age 65 make 30 percent fewer visits to their doctors than those without pets.
The fact that pets satisfy our fundamental desire for contact is one of the causes of these therapeutic benefits. After engaging with pets, even seasoned offenders in prison exhibit long-term behavioral changes; many of them experience mutual affection for the first time. When you’re concerned or nervous, petting, cuddling, or stroking a loving animal can quickly relieve your tension and calmness. Having a pet can also help reduce feelings of loneliness, and most dogs are excellent motivators for regular exercise, which can significantly improve mood and reduce depressive symptoms.
How pets can improve your lifestyle
Making healthy lifestyle adjustments is crucial for reducing the symptoms of bipolar illness, PTSD, anxiety, sadness, and stress. Taking care of a pet can assist you in changing to a healthier lifestyle by:
Increasing physical activity: One enjoyable and satisfying approach to get in regular, healthful activity is to go for a walk, hike, or run with your dog. According to studies, dog owners are much more likely to get the recommended daily amount of exercise, and exercising regularly benefits the animal as well. It will strengthen your bond with your dog, solve most behavioral issues in dogs, and maintain the general well-being of your pet.
Supplying company: A companion can help you stay healthy and even live longer, while loneliness and isolation can exacerbate depressive symptoms. Taking care of an animal can help divert your attention from your troubles and provide a sense of purpose and want, particularly if you live alone. The majority of dog and cat owners interact with their animals; some even utilize them as a therapeutic tool. And there are few things that can compare to returning home to a purring cat or a wagging tail.
Making new friends easier: For their owners, pets may be a terrific social lubricant, facilitating the formation and maintenance of new friendships. On walks, treks, or in a dog park, dog owners frequently stop and chat. Additionally, pet owners socialize with new people in pet stores, clubs, and training classes.
Adding structure and routine to your day: Many pets, especially dogs, require a regular feeding and exercise schedule. Having a consistent routine keeps an animal balanced and calm—and it can work for you, too. No matter your mood—depressed, anxious, or stressed—one plaintive look from your pet will force you to get out of bed to feed, exercise, and take care of them. Companionship with an animal can offer comfort, help ease anxiety, and build self-confidence for people anxious about going out in the world.
Providing sensory stress relief: Touch and movement are two healthy ways to quickly manage stress. Stroking a dog, cat, or other animal can lower blood pressure and help you quickly feel calmer and less stressed.
The benefits of pets for older adults
Having a pet can support good aging in addition to offering essential companionship by assisting you in: Discovering happiness and purpose in life. Things that formerly filled your time and provided meaning to your existence will fade as you get older. Your children might relocate far away, or you might retire from your job. Taking care of a pet can make you happy and improve your mood, outlook, and sense of value. Choosing to adopt a pet from a shelter—especially an elderly animal—can make you feel more fulfilled because you’ve saved a creature that may have been put to death.
Maintain contact. As you become older, keeping up a social network isn’t always simple. Close friends and family members may pass away due to retirement, illness, death, or relocation. It can also get more difficult to make new friends. Older persons can meet new people and strike up conversations by having pets, especially dogs.
Increase your energy. Taking proper care of yourself can help you overcome many of the physical obstacles that come with getting older. Pets like dogs, cats, and other animals promote playfulness, laughing, and physical activity, all of which can strengthen your immune system and give you more energy.
The benefits of pets for children
Not only do children who grow up with pets have less risk of allergies and asthma, many also learn responsibility, compassion, and empathy from having a dog or cat.
• Pets don’t offer commands and are never judgmental, unlike parents or instructors. Their unwavering love and simple existence at home might provide kids a sense of stability. When parents aren’t around, having a constant companion can aid youngsters who are experiencing separation anxiety.
• A child’s self-esteem can be positively shaped and their sense of importance increased when they have a pet to adore and spend time with.
• Children who have an emotional bond with their pets are more adept at forming bonds with other individuals.
• Research has also indicated that pets might assist soothe children who are too aggressive or hyperactive. Of course, training is necessary to ensure that the child and the animal interact effectively.
• A pet can aid in a child’s growth and expanding mind by teaching a child empathy and understanding. Kids can talk with their pet without a fear of rejection, which enables them to build their confidence, and even their vocabulary.
• Getting even a small, caged pet, such as a guinea pig or hamster, is a great way to teach a child responsibility.
Children can gain from playing with a pet just like adults can. It can provide both physical and mental stimulation as well as a place of serenity and rest. For a child, playing with a pet might even open doors to learning. It can pique a child’s interest and spark their imagination. Kids can learn the value of endurance from the rewards of teaching a dog a new trick, for example. A child who looks after a furry buddy might also experience great joy.