essay about the benefits of having a pet

Essay on Benefits of Having Pets

Students are often asked to write an essay on Benefits of Having Pets in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Benefits of Having Pets

Introduction.

Pets are more than just animals; they are friends and family members. Having a pet can bring many benefits.

Physical Health Benefits

Mental health benefits.

Pets offer emotional support and reduce stress. Their companionship can make you feel happy and loved.

Learning Responsibility

Taking care of a pet teaches responsibility. You learn to feed, groom, and take care of another living being.

Social Benefits

250 words essay on benefits of having pets, the therapeutic power of pets.

Pets offer more than just companionship. They provide therapeutic benefits, which are particularly significant in today’s fast-paced, high-stress world. Studies reveal that interactions with pets can lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels, reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases.

Psychological Benefits

Pets also have a profound impact on mental health. Interacting with pets has been shown to release endorphins, which are chemicals in the brain that produce a sense of happiness and well-being. This can help alleviate symptoms of depression and anxiety. Pets also provide a sense of purpose and responsibility, which can be beneficial for individuals struggling with mental health issues.

Pets and Social Connections

In addition to health benefits, pets can also enhance social connections. They act as social catalysts, increasing opportunities for social interactions and helping to build a sense of community. This is particularly helpful for individuals who may feel isolated or struggle with social interactions.

Physical Health and Fitness

Pets, especially dogs, encourage physical activity. Regular walks or play sessions help maintain a healthy lifestyle, contributing to weight management and overall fitness.

Concluding Thoughts

In conclusion, the benefits of having pets extend beyond companionship. They contribute to physical and mental health, foster social connections, and encourage a healthier lifestyle. As such, pets can be seen as an investment in one’s overall well-being.

500 Words Essay on Benefits of Having Pets

Encouraging physical activity.

Pets, particularly dogs, encourage their owners to engage in regular physical activity. Dog owners, for instance, are more likely to meet their daily exercise requirements than non-dog owners, according to the American Heart Association. This is because dogs need to be walked and played with regularly, which in turn promotes physical activity in their owners. This increased level of exercise can help to reduce obesity rates and improve overall physical health.

Boosting Social Interaction

Pets can also act as social catalysts, improving their owners’ social lives. Dog parks and pet-friendly cafes offer opportunities for pet owners to interact with each other, facilitating the formation of new friendships and social networks. Pets can also provide a common interest or talking point, making it easier to initiate conversations and build relationships. This can be particularly beneficial for individuals who struggle with social interaction, such as those with social anxiety or autism.

Teaching Responsibility and Empathy

Increasing life satisfaction.

In conclusion, the benefits of having pets extend far beyond simple companionship. They offer a range of physical, emotional, and social benefits, and can significantly improve the quality of life for their owners. Whether it’s through encouraging physical activity, boosting social interaction, teaching responsibility and empathy, or simply providing unconditional love and companionship, pets truly enrich our lives in a multitude of ways.

Apart from these, you can look at all the essays by clicking here .

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Benefits of Having a Pet

A pet is regarded as any animal kept by human beings to act as a source of pleasure and companionship. Generally, they are kept because of the pleasure they tend to give to the owners; often, especially with dogs, horses, and cats, the pleasure is mutual. Therefore, pet keeping is described as a symbiotic relationship, which typically means that both the pet and the humans possessing the animal enjoy the benefits. It has been practiced from the pre-historic era up to date that pets are always found in every culture and society as they play a vital role in satisfying human needs. In addition, the history of pets is often intertwined with the animal domestication process, and the dog was the first domesticated species hence making it the first pet. However, according to Enders-Slegers and Hediger, keeping some of these animals as pets is detrimental to human health if certain elements and qualifications are not achieved (260). Generally, domesticated animals are significant since they motivate their owners to play and exercise, which is effective in lowering the effects of depression and trauma; they also provide security and scare away rodents.

Pet keeping plays a vital role in improving human health as it carries positive things related to health. In the United States of America, dogs are the most kept and popular pets, with 78 million dogs apart from cats (While 334). In most scenarios, walking with a dog is interesting; hence, possessing it may influence an individual to have spare time to walk around, therefore, promoting physical fitness (Enders-Slegers and Hediger 260). For instance, if an individual gets 150 minutes of bodily exercise weekly, they will reduce the risks of getting diseases such as breast cancer, diabetes, colon cancer, and heart complications. Playing and running vigorously with a pet is one of the most effective ways of getting fit and healthy. Furthermore, therapy pets or animals also play a critical role in helping blind and diabetic individuals.

Pets also play a significant role in reducing disquiet and stress in children and adults as they feel good and happy around the animals. Interacting with them decreases cortisol levels, which is pressure and anxiety-related hormone that improves the overall wellbeing of human health (While 336). Cats are the most common type of creatures that have been identified as strain and worry relievers. Adopting a pussycat is similar to having a meowing, walking, sassy, and stress reliever. An illustration of this is when individuals come from work tired, they can spend time with the fuzzy feline pet, which makes their body produce stress-relieving hormones, thus facilitating good health.

The cats are also helpful in enabling their owners to keep other animals such as rodents and cockroaches away from the apartment. The security makes it easier for the families to have less worry and concern about the effects of the rats. They emit some toxic chemicals that deter mice from coming into the rooms. The substance is typically found in the cat’s saliva, and they trigger sensory organs found in a mouse hence causing terror. Even if the kitty is not active in killing them, it will passionately protect the house from the harmful intruders from destroying food and any other vital human belongings in the building (Schuurman and Dirke 11). The animals are nuisance pests to a man as they might destroy the stored grains and infrastructure.

Customarily, having rodents in the house is regarded as a definite form of a health risk as they can also spread germs and other bacteria through their contact with food materials. The microbes spread through their urine, droppings, or even their biting. In addition, their burrowing and gnawing behaviors make them destroy clothes and other structures hence making humans uncomfortable. Therefore, having a pet within the compound scares them away, thus enhancing the safety within the apartment. However, this is not an indication that the moggies chase the mice away forever, but when they realize that the cat is around, they will remain in the hidden place hence reducing the damages.

Furthermore, pets make individuals become more responsible and well organized since they require attention and care. Keeping these animals at times is associated with trouble, expenses, which make owning them inconvenient to most people as it requires them to invest time. However, according to Michie et al., this can also make them more accountable as caring for them makes children become aware and more empathetic to the needs and wants of others (25). When youngsters have pets around, they learn to take good care of them hence improving their moral development of loving animals and other creatures. Domesticated animals are regarded as a perfect technique of teaching children about their responsibilities. The daily feeding, exercising, affection, and grooming of cats and dogs helps the young ones know and understand the importance of consistency, obligation, and appreciation for the rewards emerging from owning and keeping pets. This clearly illustrates how pet keeping plays a vital role in teaching children and adults life lessons such as becoming responsible, which is an essential life skill.

In addition, the pets, at times, also act as a source of protection or security. They guard human beings together with everything that they possess. They are a variety of dogs that provide ideal protection to an individual’s home and protect their loved ones. If an individual develops a strong bond or connection with their pooch, it becomes a part of the family, and the doggy’s instinctive need to protect them is established. For example, if an intruder decides to threaten the owner, the dog will react and become more defensive (Wanser and Udell 90). For example, dogs such as German shepherd is effective in providing adequate security to families based on their skills abilities. In addition, guard, protection, and livestock guard dogs are other types of hounds trained to offer protection to the possessors.

In conclusion, it is clear that there are several benefits of pet keeping, and it is often associated with an increase in opportunities to exercise, hence improving human health. In a nutshell, having household animals plays a vital role in keeping rodents away and, most importantly, reducing anxiety and stress associated with their presence in the compound. They also decrease the lonely feeling an individual may encounter due to their interactive nature. In addition, pets also offer security and protection to human beings, especially dogs. They are generally trained to protect the owners and notify them when they see intruders. Furthermore, having these animals enables individuals to become more responsible by equipping them with the necessary leadership skills.

Works Cited

Enders-Slegers, Marie-José, and Karin Hediger. “Pet Ownership and Human–Animal Interaction in an Aging Population: Rewards and Challenges.” Anthrozoös, vol. 32, no. 2, 2019, pp. 255-265.

Michie, Craig, et al. “The Internet of Things Enhancing Animal Welfare and Farm Operational Efficiency.” Journal of Dairy Research vol. 87, no. S1, 2020, pp. 20-27.

Schuurman, Nora, and Karin Dirke. “From Pest to Pet. Liminality, Domestication and Animal Agency in the Killing of Rats and Cats.” TRACE∴ Journal for Human-Animal Studies, vol. 6, 2020, pp. 2-25.

Wanser, Shelby H., and Monique AR Udell. “Does Attachment Security to A Human Handler Influence the Behavior of Dogs Who Engage in Animal Assisted Activities?.” Applied Animal Behaviour Science, vol. 210, 2019, pp. 88-94.

While, Alison. “Pet Dogs as Promoters of Wellbeing.” British Journal of Community Nursing , vol. 22, no. 7, 2017, pp. 332-336.

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Faculty & Research | 4.11.2023

The Health Benefits of Owning a Pet

Animal companions help their owners live longer, happier lives..

Today is National Pet Day , and pet owners have another reason to celebrate: their pets are helping them live healthier, longer lives. “Pet owners are less likely to die,” said Harvard Medical School clinical assistant professor Beth Frates, citing the American Heart Association’s finding that owning a furry (or scaly, or hairy) companion reduces a person’s mortality rate by 24 percent.

In a talk yesterday at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Frates and Megan Mueller, associate professor of human-animal interaction at Tufts University’s Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, discussed the health benefits of being around companion animals—whether one owns a pet or not.

From lowering blood pressure to assisting in clinical mental health settings, there are many ways pets make people healthier, according to Frates and Mueller:

Exercise:  Research has found that those who own dogs are more likely to achieve 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity each week—the medically recommended guideline. “If you do reach those exercise guidelines, you will have lower blood pressure, you can lower your cholesterol, you can lower your triglycerides,” Frates explained. She added that studies show when a pet owner tries to get her obese dog get to a healthy weight, the owner reaps health benefits, too: “Owners will go on more walks for the health of the dog—more so than they will for themselves. Of course, the exercise helps both the animal and the human.” Most research focuses on dogs, because they are a popular pet and require frequent walks, but these benefits aren’t restricted to dog owners. For instance, Frates noted that riding a horse is a full-body workout.

Social connection:  “Anyone who owns a dog, and walks that dog, knows it is an invitation for conversation,” Frates says. “It can reduce loneliness and create social connections.” Harvard tutors who own dogs often have the most highly attended study breaks (a chance for students to step away from schoolwork and mingle), she continued, referencing a 2015 University video on dogs in the Houses. Animals, in effect, brought more people together, and social connection is critical to a healthy life. According to data from the Harvard Study of Adult Development—which followed a cohort of Harvard graduates for 80 years—having close relationships is one of the top predictors of maintaining good health, even in old age.

Stress resiliency:  Petting, playing with, or even just maintaining eye contact with pets, releases oxytocin in the brain, which in turn lowers stress levels in the body. Interestingly, research with dogs has shown that they also get an oxytocin boost from these interactions. Pets boost their owners’ stress resiliency by regularly getting them out of the house, into dog parks, and meeting new people. Frates said, “When we are connected, we actually feel less stress, because we can talk to our family, friends, and other connections about how we’re feeling.”

Sleep:  The regular exercise of walking a dog, riding a horse, or playing with pets improves quality of sleep, Frates said. But there’s a caveat: “If people choose to sleep with their pets, that means their sleep is often interrupted. We do want people to get seven to nine uninterrupted hours of sleep, so that is something to consider.”

Mental health:  According to Frates, lifestyle medicine guidelines recommend that people spend 120 minutes in nature each week to lower blood pressure and stress levels—which can often be achieved while playing with, tending to, or walking a pet. Pet fish bring the benefits of nature indoors, too. Studies have found that watching fish lowers a person’s blood pressure, and some research has shown that having fish at home helps the owners maintain their own life routines. Research with elderly widows and widowers found that pet ownership instilled necessary routine and responsibility into their days. “Pets provide a powerful sense of purpose—a routine and a responsibility to care for another living creature,” Mueller said. “That can provide a driving force for getting someone out of bed in the morning.” 

Nutrition:  “When you feed your pet, it’s usually on a schedule. It turns out, it’s good for us to be on an [eating] schedule, too, because it helps us plan what we want to eat helps us make healthier choices,” Frates said. Research into the relationship between pet and owner nutrition is still evolving, but she said anecdotally, “More and more people are making food for their pets that is delicious and nutritious, and hopefully that’s carrying over to quality of food they make for themselves.”

Avoiding risky substances:  In a video presented during the panel, veterinarian Kwane Stewart, founder of Project Street Vet that provides care to homeless pets, said that caring for a pet sometimes deters homeless pet owners from substance abuse. “I can’t say that my pet is my reason for living,” Stewart said, “but for a lot of these people on the streets, that is the case.” Frates added that pet ownership can incentivize some people to quit smoking, just as parents concerned about secondhand smoke might nix their cigarette habit.

Therapeutic benefits:  Beyond the well-known therapy animals like dogs and cats, mental health clinicians also employ rabbits, birds, llamas, and even guinea pigs in their therapeutic practices. Niki Vettel, a mental health clinician specializing in addiction disorders, shared that structured therapeutic time with guinea pigs has helped her patients practice mindfulness and trust. A video from clinicians at Lovelane Therapeutics—an equine therapy group for children with special needs, in Lincoln, Massachusetts—highlighted how horses can help people physically and mentally. A mother of a child with Down Syndrome noted that when her son first started riding at age three, he could not walk. She believed, however, that the muscular strength and confidence he built while riding was key to him later taking his first steps.

“It’s powerful to hear the stories, it’s powerful to read the research. But I think the most powerful thing is the experience of actually being with animals,” Frates said. Fittingly, the organizers treated audience members to a “pet play date” after the talk, featuring therapy animals Sophie the Golden Retriever and Hermie the guinea pig.

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February 2018

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The Power of Pets

Health Benefits of Human-Animal Interactions

Nothing compares to the joy of coming home to a loyal companion. The unconditional love of a pet can do more than keep you company. Pets may also decrease stress, improve heart health, and even help children with their emotional and social skills.

An estimated 68% of U.S. households have a pet. But who benefits from an animal? And which type of pet brings health benefits?

Over the past 10 years, NIH has partnered with the Mars Corporation’s WALTHAM Centre for Pet Nutrition to answer questions like these by funding research studies.

Scientists are looking at what the potential physical and mental health benefits are for different animals—from fish to guinea pigs to dogs and cats.

Possible Health Effects

Research on human-animal interactions is still relatively new. Some studies have shown positive health effects, but the results have been mixed.

Interacting with animals has been shown to decrease levels of cortisol (a stress-related hormone) and lower blood pressure. Other studies have found that animals can reduce loneliness, increase feelings of social support, and boost your mood.

The NIH/Mars Partnership is funding a range of studies focused on the relationships we have with animals. For example, researchers are looking into how animals might influence child development. They’re studying animal interactions with kids who have autism , attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) , and other conditions.

“There’s not one answer about how a pet can help somebody with a specific condition,” explains Dr. Layla Esposito, who oversees NIH’s Human-Animal Interaction Research Program. “Is your goal to increase physical activity? Then you might benefit from owning a dog. You have to walk a dog several times a day and you’re going to increase physical activity. If your goal is reducing stress, sometimes watching fish swim can result in a feeling of calmness. So there’s no one type fits all.”

NIH is funding large-scale surveys to find out the range of pets people live with and how their relationships with their pets relate to health.

“We’re trying to tap into the subjective quality of the relationship with the animal—that part of the bond that people feel with animals—and how that translates into some of the health benefits,” explains Dr. James Griffin, a child development expert at NIH.

Animals Helping People

Animals can serve as a source of comfort and support. Therapy dogs are especially good at this. They’re sometimes brought into hospitals or nursing homes to help reduce patients’ stress and anxiety.

“Dogs are very present. If someone is struggling with something, they know how to sit there and be loving,” says Dr. Ann Berger, a physician and researcher at the NIH Clinical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. “Their attention is focused on the person all the time.”

Berger works with people who have cancer and terminal illnesses. She teaches them about mindfulness to help decrease stress and manage pain.

“The foundations of mindfulness include attention, intention, compassion, and awareness,” Berger says. “All of those things are things that animals bring to the table. People kind of have to learn it. Animals do this innately.”

Researchers are studying the safety of bringing animals into hospital settings because animals may expose people to more germs. A current study is looking at the safety of bringing dogs to visit children with cancer, Esposito says. Scientists will be testing the children’s hands to see if there are dangerous levels of germs transferred from the dog after the visit.

Dogs may also aid in the classroom. One study found that dogs can help children with ADHD focus their attention. Researchers enrolled two groups of children diagnosed with ADHD into 12-week group therapy sessions. The first group of kids read to a therapy dog once a week for 30 minutes. The second group read to puppets that looked like dogs.

Kids who read to the real animals showed better social skills and more sharing, cooperation, and volunteering. They also had fewer behavioral problems.

Another study found that children with autism spectrum disorder were calmer while playing with guinea pigs in the classroom. When the children spent 10 minutes in a supervised group playtime with guinea pigs, their anxiety levels dropped. The children also had better social interactions and were more engaged with their peers. The researchers suggest that the animals offered unconditional acceptance, making them a calm comfort to the children.

“Animals can become a way of building a bridge for those social interactions,” Griffin says. He adds that researchers are trying to better understand these effects and who they might help.

Animals may help you in other unexpected ways. A recent study showed that caring for fish helped teens with diabetes better manage their disease. Researchers had a group of teens with type 1 diabetes care for a pet fish twice a day by feeding and checking water levels. The caretaking routine also included changing the tank water each week. This was paired with the children reviewing their blood glucose (blood sugar) logs with parents.

Researchers tracked how consistently these teens checked their blood glucose. Compared with teens who weren’t given a fish to care for, fish-keeping teens were more disciplined about checking their own blood glucose levels, which is essential for maintaining their health.

While pets may bring a wide range of health benefits, an animal may not work for everyone. Recent studies suggest that early exposure to pets may help protect young children from developing allergies and asthma. But for people who are allergic to certain animals, having pets in the home can do more harm than good.

Helping Each Other

Pets also bring new responsibilities. Knowing how to care for and feed an animal is part of owning a pet. NIH/Mars funds studies looking into the effects of human-animal interactions for both the pet and the person.

Remember that animals can feel stressed and fatigued, too. It’s important for kids to be able to recognize signs of stress in their pet and know when not to approach. Animal bites can cause serious harm.

“Dog bite prevention is certainly an issue parents need to consider, especially for young children who don’t always know the boundaries of what’s appropriate to do with a dog,” Esposito explains.

Researchers will continue to explore the many health effects of having a pet. “We’re trying to find out what’s working, what’s not working, and what’s safe—for both the humans and the animals,” Esposito says.

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• People & Pets Blog
• For Veterinarians

10 Mental & Physical Health Benefits of Having Pets

Pets are family members. Like humans, they need love, health care, and attention. But pet parents’ relationships with their pets are not one sided. Pets give so much back in return, improving the health of our minds, bodies, and hearts. 

The benefits of having pets are plentiful — and scientifically proven. Pets help their humans live longer, happier, and healthier lives mentally and physically. The Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI) gathers the latest information on the positive health effects of companion animals. These researchers help make the case for adding a pet to a household. 

Let’s talk about those benefits.

Better Mental Health

Pets can contribute to positive mental health through emotional work and practical work. The emotional work can be described as alleviating worries, stress, and depression . You may have noticed that your pet wastes no time noticing and springing into action when you are upset or sad. Their intuition is what makes them great support and therapy animals, and animal-assisted therapy is effective in treating PTSD, anxiety, and depression. 

Then there’s the practical work that comes with caring for a pet. This means making sure their individual needs are met. Developing a daily routine of walks and feeding times can help pet parents  with mental health conditions feel a sense of purpose that affects other areas of their lives.

The Data: Pets and Mental Health 

A 2016 HABRI study explored the role of pets in the social networks of people managing a long‑term mental health problem.

• Pets were found to contribute to a stronger sense of identity in pet owners with mental health conditions, including reducing negative perceptions of a mental health condition or diagnosis.
• Pets provide a sense of security and routine in the relationship, which reinforces stable cognition.
• Pets provide a distraction and disruption from distressing symptoms , such as hearing voices, suicidal thoughts, rumination, and facilitating routine and exercise for those who care for them.

Better Physical Health

Every little bit counts when it comes to physical health benefits, and those daily walks really add up for dog owners. Since they are more likely to meet the criteria for regular moderate exercise, dog parents have lower instances of obesity. 

Your heart is one of the biggest spots to see the full benefits of pet ownership. Just the presence of animals has significant impacts on blood pressure, with pet owners having a lower resting blood pressure than people without pet babies. 

Cat parents aren’t left out of the healthy heart race. A feline friend in your home reduces your risk of death due to cardiovascular diseases, including stroke and heart attacks. According to the Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI), people without cats have a 40% higher relative risk of heart attack than non‑cat owners.

The Data: Pets and Physical Health 

• Approximately 60% of dog walkers met the criteria for regular moderate and/or vigorous leisure‑time physical activity compared with about 45% for non‑dog owners and dog owners who did not walk their dog in a 2005 Michigan Behavioral Risk Factor Survey.
• In a study of adults over the age of 50 with mildly elevated blood pressure, the presence of a pet dog or cat had a significant impact on blood pressure, with dog ownership being associated with lower diastolic and systolic blood pressure compared to people who did not own pets.
• A study of over 2,400 cat owners concluded there was a significantly lower relative risk for death due to cardiovascular diseases, including stroke and heart attack, compared to non‑owners during a 20‑year follow‑up.

Healthier Aging Process

Research has shown that older adults get social and emotional support from their pets that combats loneliness and depression. Aside from promoting exercise and reducing stress, pets also assist in the treatment of long‑term diseases like Alzheimer’s and dementia. 

Pet companionship is also key for hospital and cancer patients. When coupled with animal-assisted activities, pets help patients with pain management and in interactions with doctors and nurses. Those patients also responded better to treatments and reported improvements in their quality of life.

The Data: Pets and Aging 

• Results of a study of older adults who live alone suggest that pet ownership may act as a buffer against loneliness .
• Results of a one-year study that examined the impact of animal‑assisted therapy (AAT) on patients with chronic pain demonstrated that, following AAT, patients reported reduced pain, discomfort, and stress . Additionally, stress among nursing staff was found to decrease significantly following AAT.
• A study of older adults with mental illness living in long‑term care facilities concluded that AAT reduced depressive symptoms and improved cognitive function.

When we look at the data on mental health, physical health, and aging, it’s clear that pets contribute much to people’s lives in these areas, as well as being the loving companions we’ve always known they are.

Animal Behavior

The psychological and physical benefits of having a pet, pets can improve our health and well-being..

Posted October 26, 2020 | Reviewed by Abigail Fagan

Pets are an essential part of our psychological toolkit and a great source of comfort. The experience of spending time with an animal is beneficial in the context of your overall health and well-being.

Petting, holding, or cuddling an animal increases the levels of serotonin and dopamine in our bodies, which are feel-good, calming brain chemicals. As a result of these positive chemical changes, our feelings of depression and loneliness may be reduced while our self-esteem and happiness may increase. Interacting with pets can serve to reduce your blood pressure, slow your heart rate, and decrease the level of the stress hormone cortisol in the body. High levels of cortisol can cause the buildup of plaque in the arteries of your heart; this can lead to a heart attack. Even just watching fish swimming around in an aquarium can be a calming and relaxing experience.

Studies have shown that owning a pet may reduce the symptoms of depression, provide a sense of purpose, increase self-confidence , and provide comfort to their owners. Seniors who are depressed or lonely benefit greatly from having a pet to care for and love; it makes them feel needed, which promotes self-confidence and self-esteem. Pets also provide structure and routine to daily life because they require regular care and feeding. Our pets are a welcome sight when we return home following a long or stressful day. Dogs, especially, are palpably happy to see you when you’ve been away.

Dog ownership is immensely therapeutic. A dog requires daily walks; this means that their owners, too, experience fresh air and exercise on a daily basis, thus lowering their risk of succumbing to heart disease. Dog walking also decreases the extent to which humans can isolate themselves. While out and about, walking our dogs, we encounter numerous opportunities to strike up conversations with people whom we might otherwise have never met. People often pass each other on the street without saying a word — but having a dog present is a natural conversation-starter.

Some dogs can sense when you, their owner — their family — are sad or unhappy. They will often respond by nudging you with their paw or head — or they’ll simply sit by your side to let you know that they’re there. Children often prefer to confide their feelings to a pet rather than an adult. Law students who are anxious and stressed before exams have benefited significantly from visits to their schools by therapy dogs.

Many law schools are now allowing therapy dogs onto their campuses to alleviate the pressure of exams among their students. Certified therapy dogs are brought in by their owners, and the students are allowed to pet the dogs and sit with them. The experience of doing so offers students a welcome diversion from their studies and eases their levels of stress, anxiety , and tension. Therapy dogs have, likewise, become part of children’s library reading programs and also provide comfort to people who are in or who work in nursing homes, hospitals, and funeral homes.

Any animal can be a source of social support. Just having another living being whom you can talk to, hug, love — and who needs you — can alleviate feelings of stress, anxiety, and depression. Dogs and cats are great sources of comfort and companionship. However, if you are allergic to dogs or cats — or if you don’t want or are not in a position to be able to fulfill the commitment of owning one — then an aquarium is an excellent choice. Aquariums are inexpensive and are relatively low-maintenance. The sound of the filter can also be relaxing, as well as the experience of watching the fish while they swim.

Louise B. Miller, Ph.D., is an Integrative Mental Health Specialist in Southern California. She is the author of Psychological First Aid: Removing the Stigma & Reframing the Way We Think about Mental Illness.

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The Benefits of Pets for Human Health

Animals play an important role in many people’s lives. In addition to seeing-eye dogs and dogs that can be trained to detect seizures, animals can also be used in occupational therapy, speech therapy, or physical rehabilitation to help patients recover. [1] Aside from these designated therapeutic roles, animals are also valued as companions, which can certainly affect the quality of our lives. Is that companionship beneficial to our health?

The better we understand the human-animal bond, the more we can use it to improve people’s lives. This article summarizes what is known and not known about how animals help improve the health and well-being of people, and what the implications might be for helping people who don’t have pets of their own. Over 90 million American households (70%) have a pet, [2]  and most people think of their pets as members of the family. [3] Some research studies have found that people who have a pet have healthier hearts, stay home sick less often, make fewer visits to the doctor, get more exercise, and are less depressed. Pets may also have a significant impact on allergies, asthma, social support, and social interactions with other people.

Impact on Physical and Mental Health

Companion animals may improve heart health by lowering blood pressure and regulating the heart rate during stressful situations. In a 2002 study, researchers measured changes in heart rate and blood pressure among people who had a dog or cat, compared to those who did not, when participants were under stress (performing a timed math task). People with a dog or cat had lower resting heart rates and blood pressure measures at the beginning of the experiment than non-pet owners. People with a dog or cat were also less likely to have spikes in heart rates and blood pressure while performing the math task, and their heart rates and blood pressure returned to normal more quickly. The study was conducted with pet owners when the pets were present, and also when the pets were not present.  Pet owners had better cardiac responses in either situation, and especially when pets were present. They also made fewer errors in their math when their pet was present in the room. [4]  All these findings indicated that having a dog or cat lowered the risk of heart disease, as well as lowering stress so that performance improved.

A similar study found that having your dog in the room lowered blood pressure better than taking a popular type of blood pressure medication (ACE inhibitor) when you are under stress. [5] Other research has indicated that the simple act of stroking a pet can help lower blood pressure and cholesterol. [6]

Children’s exposure to companion animals may also ease anxiety. For example, one study measured blood pressure, heart rate, and behavioral distress in healthy children aged 3 to 6 at two different doctor visits for routine physicals. At one visit, a dog (unrelated to the child) was present in the room and at the other visit the dog was absent. When the dog was present, children had lower blood pressure measures, lower heart rates, and less behavioral distress. [7] However, research on the health benefits of child and animal interaction is still limited. Further research is needed on how pets influence child development and specific health outcomes.

Findings suggest that the social support a pet provides can make a person feel more relaxed and decrease stress. [8] Social support from friends and family can have similar benefits, but interpersonal relationships often cause stress as well, whereas pets may be less likely to cause stress. The social support provided by a pet might also encourage more social interactions with people, reducing feelings of isolation or loneliness. For example, walking with a dog has been found to increase social interaction, especially with strangers, compared to walking without a dog. [9]

Among elderly people, pet ownership might also be an important source of social support that enhances well-being. In one study, elderly individuals that had a dog or cat were better able to perform certain physical activities deemed “activities of daily living,” such as the ability to climb stairs; bend, kneel, or stoop; take medication; prepare meals; and bathe and dress oneself. There were not significant differences between dog and cat owners in their abilities to perform these activities. Neither the length of time of having a dog or cat nor the level of attachment to the animal influenced performance abilities. Companion animals did not seem to have an impact on psychological health but researchers suggested that a care-taking role may give older individuals a sense of responsibility and purpose that contributes to their overall well-being. [10]

A large German study collected pet information (dog, cat, horse, fish, bird or other pet ownership) from over 9,000 people at two different times (1996 and 2001). The survey included a number of health, economic, and labor issues, so that respondents would not realize the researchers’ interest in a link between pets and health. Researchers found that people who said they had a pet in both 1996 and 2001 had the fewest doctor visits, followed by people who had acquired a pet by 2001; the group of people who did not have a pet at either time had the highest number of doctor visits. [11]  Similarly, a study of women in China found that those who were dog owners had fewer doctor visits, took fewer days off sick from work, and exercised more often than non-dog owners. [12]

Research on allergies and asthma is mixed. Some studies show that having a cat might increase allergen sensitivity, while others show it might protect against cat allergies.  Having a dog might not influence or might protect against specific dog allergies. [13]  A 2013 study found that mice were protected against allergies when they were exposed to dust that came from homes with dogs. [14]  The researchers discovered that the protective effect was due to a certain type of gut bacteria that is often present in people with dogs. More research is needed on the connection between allergies, asthma, and pets, but it is possible that the impact of having pets on allergies may depend on the age of the person at the time they are exposed to an animal as well as the type of pet. For example, 6 and 7 year old children who lived with a bird during their first year of life were more likely to have respiratory symptoms like wheezing compared to children who did not have a bird in the home as an infant. [15] Likewise, researchers say that the timing of when a pet is in the family is also important. Children with dogs or cats in their home during the first year of life are less likely to develop allergies in childhood. [6]  

As is true with any relationship, some human-pet relationships are likely to be more rewarding than others. Some people are more attached to their pets than others and those feelings could influence the impact of the pet on the person’s health.  Other factors such as gender and marital status may play a role. For example, one study found that dog ownership was associated with lower rates of depression among women, but not men, and among single individuals but not married people.  So, while pet ownership might have a positive impact on well-being for some people, it doesn’t affect everyone the same way. [16]

Children’s Emotional Development

When a child has no brothers or sisters, research shows that pets help children develop greater empathy, higher self-esteem, and increased participation in social and physical activities. [6]

The Challenges of Measuring the Positive Impact of Pets

The effect of human-animal interaction on health is not fully understood because it is difficult to study. Most evidence on the benefits of having a pet comes from surveys of current health, but that means it is impossible to know if a person is in good health because she has a pet or if he is more likely to get a pet because he is in good health. Someone whose health is poor may decide he does not have the time or energy to care for a pet. The German study described above suggests that having a pet for a longer period of time is more beneficial to your health; but it is also possible that people with pets have less time to spare to go to the doctor or are less concerned about their own health, especially minor ailments.

In addition, people who love their pets are likely to want to let researchers know that their pets help improve their lives. This could bias the study results.

Another issue is how the word “pet” is defined. Does having a goldfish confer the same health benefits as having a golden retriever? Most pet studies were of people who had a dog or a cat, making it difficult to draw conclusions about health benefits of birds, lizards, fish, or other pets. How much time the person spends with his or her pet could be strongly influenced by the type of pet and in turn could influence the health benefits of having a pet. [17]

Temporary Companions

Researchers have also used animals to temporarily provide companionship to children with health or mental health problems, or elderly people who may not have the energy or resources for a live-in pet. While these studies do not always have consistent results, some positive findings of interacting with a therapy dog include reduced levels of pain and anxiety among hospitalized children and adults, as well as increased focus and interaction among children with autism and other developmental disorders. In nursing home settings, interaction with visiting dogs has led to more social behaviors, more interaction among residents, and less loneliness. [18]

While research on animal-assisted interaction and therapy is not always consistent and is often done with small groups of participants, there is some evidence that interaction with a companion animal even for a short time might have a range of benefits

The Bottom Line

The research findings are encouraging, so it makes sense to conduct more studies on how human-animal interaction influences our health. We don’t yet know precisely what types of animals influence what types of health issues (physical, mental, and social well-being) and what characteristics about human-animal interaction are most important. People who have pets know that there are many benefits to having a companion animal, but we do not yet know under what circumstances those benefits are most likely. If research shows specific health benefits under specific circumstances, that information can be used to change policies in ways that benefit even more adults and children, by influencing rules and regulations for schools, health or assisted living facilities, residential treatment centers, and other places where people’s exposure to animals is sometimes discouraged but could potentially be encouraged.

For more scientific research about human-animal interaction, see How Animals Affect Us: Examining the Influence of Human-Animal Interaction of Child Development and Human Health by Peggy McCardel, Sandra McCune, James A. Griffin, and Valerie Maholmes.  The book is based in part on a workshop sponsored by the Waltham Centre for Pet Nutrition, a division of Mars, Incorporated, and the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD).

All articles are reviewed and approved by Dr. Diana Zuckerman and other senior staff.

• Griffin JA, McCune S, Maholmes V, Hurley K (2011). Human-animal interaction research: An introduction to issues and topics.  In McCardle P, McCune S, Griffin JA & Maholmes V (Eds.),  How animals affect us  (pp. 3-9). Washington D.C.: American Psychological Association.
• The Humane Society Of The United States, Pets by the numbers. https://humanepro.org/page/pets-by-the-numbers
•  Risley-Curtiss C, Holley LC, Wolf S (2006). The animal-human bond and ethnic diversity.  Social Work.  Jul;51(3):257-68.
• Allen K, Blascovich J, Mendes WB (2002). Cardiovascular reactivity and the presence of pets, friends, and spouses: the truth about cats and dogs . Psychosom Med . Sep-Oct;64(5):727-39.
•  Allen K, Shykoff BE, Izzo JL Jr. (2001). Pet ownership, but not ace inhibitor therapy, blunts home blood pressure responses to mental stress.  Hypertension.  Oct;38(4):815-20.
•  Hodgson, K., Barton, L., Darling, M., Antao, V., Kim, F. A., & Monavvari, A. (2015). Pets’ Impact on Your Patients’ Health: Leveraging Benefits and Mitigating Risk. The Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine, 28 (4), 526-534.
•  Nagengast SL, Baun MM, Megel M, Leibowitz JM (1997). The effects of the presence of a companion animal on physiological arousal and behavioral distress in children during a physical examination. J Pediatr Nurs. Dec;12(6):323-30.
•  Serpell JA (2011). Historical and cultural perspectives on human-pet interactions. In McCardel P, McCune S, Griffin JA, et al,  Animals in Our Lives  (pp. 7-22). Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co.
• McNicholas J, Collis GM (2000). Dogs as catalysts for social interactions: robustness of the effect.  Br J Psychol ;91:61-70.
• Raina P, Waltner-Toews D, Bonnett B, Woodward C, Abernathy T (1999). Influence of companion animals on the physical and psychological health of older people: an analysis of a one-year longitudinal study.  J Am Geriatr Soc . Mar;47(3):323-9.
•  Headey B & Grabka MM (2007). Pets and human health in Germany and Australia: National longitudinal results.  Social Indicators Research . 80: 297-311.
• Headey BW, Fu Na, Zheng R (2008). Pet Dogs Benefit Owners’ Health: A ‘Natural Experiment’ in China.  Soc Indic Res . 87:481-493.
• Simpson A, Custovic A (2003). Early pet exposure: friend or foe?  Allergy Clin Immunol . Feb;3(1):7-14.
• Fukimura KE, Demoor T, Rauch M, Faruqi AA, Jang S, Johnson CC, Boushey HA, Zoratti E, Ownby D, Lukacs NW, & Lynch SV. House dust exposure mediates gut microbiome Lactobacillus enrichment and airway immune defense against allergens and virus infection. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America; 2013; Online edition.
• Behrens T, Maziak W, Weiland SK, Rzehak P, Siebert E, Keil U (2005). Symptoms of asthma and the home environment. The ISAAC I and III cross-sectional surveys in Münster, Germany.  Int Arch Allergy Immunol.  May;137(1):53-61.
•  Cline KM (2010). Psychological effects of dog ownership: role strain, role enhancement, and depression.  J Soc Psychol . Mar-Apr;150(2):117-31.
• Thorpe RJ Jr., Serpell JA, Suomi S (2011). Challenges to human-animal interaction research. In McCardel P, McCune S, Griffin JA, et al,  Animals in Our Lives  (pp. 217-225). Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co.
• Johnson RA (2011). Animal-assisted interventions in health care contexts. In McCardle P, McCune S, Griffin JA & Maholmes V (Eds.),  How animals affect us  (pp. 183-192). Washington D.C.: American Psychological Association.

The evolutionary reasons humans love pets – and nine benefits of having one

Professor of Veterinary Behavioural Medicine, University of Lincoln

Disclosure statement

Daniel Mills does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

University of Lincoln provides funding as a member of The Conversation UK.

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We’ve all read stories about owners’ love for their pets, but you might be taken aback to hear how some people are willing to spend thousands of pounds on vet care for small animals like guinea-pigs and hamsters. A Guardian journalist recently reported spending £2,000 on vet bills for her guinea-pig, Ruby.

It really doesn’t matter what species an animal is if they meet a strong biological need. There may be deep-rooted biological reasons why we enjoy caring for pets. In fact, there are several evolutionary theories about why humans keep pets.

The connection between an owner and their pet is typically a close emotional one , and every bond is unique. When emotions are involved, relationships cannot be viewed in terms of their material worth. We should perhaps stop thinking about them in purely cold rational terms, as the human desire to care for another being is a powerful one.

Evolutionary theories that seek to explain this bond range from the biophilia hypothesis (humans have an intrinsic attraction to the natural world) to an inherent attraction or caring response to child-like characteristics such as a high forehead, large eyes and a shortened nose.

Evolutionary biologist Stephen Jay Gould argued that the evolution of the appearance of Mickey Mouse follows exactly this trend. Animators made him increasingly expressive over time, giving him a larger head, higher forehead, and shorter nose and limbs to make him “cuter”. These features are common in many popular cartoon characters.

Care-soliciting behaviour may strengthen this emotional bond. For example, guinea-pigs are known to “wheek” loudly in response to the sound of an opening fridge.

A stronger bond may form between owners and species or individual pets who require intense or special care, and show greater dependence on their human carer. But this doesn’t mean the more care a pet needs, the closer the bond its owner will feel for it. The emotional cost of problem behaviour, such as not being able to relax because a dog may spring at new people, can marr the relationship .

A relationship booster that transcends species

The cognitive ability of the species is largely irrelevant, so long as the owner can identify with their pets’ needs. The way we frame our relationship with a species is more important. For example, a mouse can be viewed as wildlife, a pet or a pest depending on the context, and we will treat it differently accordingly.

Caring for a pet is a relationship booster that seems to transcend species. My team’s recent work tried to unpick what it is about being a pet owner that is good for our psychological wellbeing.

Exactly how pet-related activities benefit us remains unknown – different processes might be happening in different people and several mechanisms might be operating at once, which can strengthen the bond. But our work has identified some recurring themes. If you are a pet owner, you might recognise many if not all of these.

Nine benefits of having a pet

Biophilia boost : interacting with and immersing ourselves within the natural world can be intrinsically beneficial to us, given our evolutionary history.

Caring and attachment: tending for another creature is a rewarding activity . It makes us feel good and develop a stronger sense of purpose.

Social support: having a pet nearby can reduce loneliness . Often, we may interpret pet behaviour in a way that provides us with emotional support.

Social catalysts: pets can be a social lubricant in many contexts. This might not only improve our personal networks, but also (indirectly) increase our sense of social support from others.

Emotional contagion : many of our pets look happy and carefree much of the time, and that can be infectious. A pet can help us surround ourselves with a more upbeat social circle.

Routines: caring for pets can put structure into our days and thus help reduce stress.

Exercise: many pets encourage us to exercise more , and this has neurophysiological as well as physical benefits.

Learning: finding out more about something, including animal behaviour, can be highly rewarding, especially when you achieve a degree of competence.

Physical affection : touch can have powerful effects on us, so petting may be psychologically very good for us.

There are also potential downsides to the processes that bring us closer to our pets. For example, you may experience social exclusion if your pet’s behaviour does not conform to social norms, such as being aggressive or pooping in the neighbour’s garden.

But pets, regardless of their species, can be important not only to how we feel but our sense of purpose and broader satisfaction with life. So, we should not be surprised when an owner appreciates that financial cost is of little importance when it comes to securing these goals.

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Overview of The Benefits of Having Pets

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Published: Oct 2, 2020

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Introduction, works cited, improving health, making new friend, being more responsibility, having security.

• American Pet Products Association. (2016). Pet Industry Market Size & Ownership Statistics. Retrieved from https://www.americanpetproducts.org/press_industrytrends.asp
• London, K. B. (2018). The Physical and Psychological Benefits of Dog Ownership. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 27(3), 187-191. doi:10.1177/0963721417748426
• Kruk, J. (2018). How Does Exercise Reduce the Risk of Breast Cancer? Current Oncology, 25(3), e325-e327. doi:10.3747/co.25.4034
• Oaklander, M. (2017). Science Says Your Pet is Good for Your Mental Health. Time. Retrieved from https://time.com/4728315/science-says-pet-good-mental-health/
• Vieira, M. (2018). Pets and Mental Health: Enhancing Well-Being and Building Resilience. Frontiers in Psychology, 9, 514. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00514
• Dumain, T. (2019). Stroke Prevention: What You Need to Know. Health Essentials from Cleveland Clinic. Retrieved from https://health.clevelandclinic.org/stroke-prevention-what-you-need-to-know/
• Thakur, A. (2021). 10 Benefits of Having a Pet at Home. The Times of India. Retrieved from https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/relationships/pets/10-benefits-of-having-a-pet-at-home/articleshow/82166879.cms
• University of Western Australia. (2015). The Role of Pets in Human Societies: Implications for Human Health and Well-Being. Retrieved from https://www.perthnow.com.au/news/wa/pets-make-people-healthier-ng-864a670fd8740e063c71d9253e3d7751
• Cowan, L. (2017). The Benefits of Pets for Children. Bright Horizons. Retrieved from https://www.brighthorizons.com/family-resources/e-family-news/2017-the-benefits-of-pets-for-children
• Forma, A. (2020). Dog Saves Boy, 4, from Cougar Attack in Canada. National Geographic. Retrieved from https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/dog-saves-boy-cougar-attack

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15 reasons why having a pet is good for you and your family

• Owning a pet can positively impact not only your health but also your lifestyle.
• Couples who own a pet together have lower blood pressure and interact with each other more than couples who do not own a pet.
• Studies show that pet owners are more likely to get to know people in their neighborhood than those who do not have a pet.
• Animals can help children by teaching them about empathy and responsibility, and can even boost their literacy skills.

• Visit Insider's homepage for more stories .

Whether you have a dog, cat, bird, or anything in between, pet ownership can be an adventure.

A furry friend can also keep you company through the stress or isolation of the coronavirus pandemic — this may be why pet adoption and fostering have spiked recently .

While people who adopt an animal usually think they're changing its life for the better, pets have just as much of a positive impact on the lives of their owners. If you're still on the fence about whether or not you should adopt a pet, here are 15 reasons why you need one in your life.

Having a pet can improve your mood.

Owning a pet can help reduce stress you're feeling amid the pandemic. According to studies , spending time with your pet can trigger an increased level of oxytocin, also known as the "love hormone." This is responsible for the feeling of closeness and increased bonding with your pet. It can also increase your overall mood .

Pets can also improve your social life.

Your pet could be the perfect conversation starter for your next Zoom call, but owning a pet could also help you make more friends once social distancing guidelines lift. 

Dogs are naturally curious about their environment, including other dogs and people, and they can be the catalyst for social interactions. If you own a dog, you might find strangers approaching you to ask about them.

But other pets like cats can increase your social circle  as well. According to a 2015 study conducted in Australia and the US, pet owners were significantly more likely to get to know people in their neighborhood than those who did not own a pet.

If you're looking for love, a pet can help with that, too.

Pets can be a great way to increase your chances of finding love . According to a survey by Purina , 54 percent of surveyed pet owners said their pets helped them start a conversation with someone they were interested in. Nearly two thirds of people said they were likely to date someone who owned a pet, and one in three would want to meet someone who has pictures of their pet in their online dating profile.

And if you're in a relationship, a pet can make you both happier and less stressed.

According to research cited by Psychology Today, couples who own a pet together have lower blood pressure and are happier on average than their peers. They also interact more with each other than couples who don't own a pet.

Owning a pet can make you a better person.

According to a study by BarkBox , owning a dog can make you a better person (or at least make you think you are!). Of those surveyed for the study, 93% of pet owners said they could easily name at least one way their pet had made them a better person, including making them noticeably more patient or affectionate.

Bringing your pet to work can boost your morale and help control your stress levels.

Showing off your pet can brighten those work-from-home video meetings, not only for yourself but also for your co-workers.

A 2012 study conducted at a North Carolina manufacturing company found that employees who brought their dogs to the workplace experienced lower stress levels throughout the day, reported being happier in their jobs, and had a higher opinion of their employer.

Pets can also help you unwind after a long day at work.

Pets can give you comfort and a sense of relief. A 2003 study  found the act of petting an animal after a stressful situation reduced feelings of anxiety. "The anxiety-reducing effect applied to people with different attitudes towards animals and was not restricted to animal lovers," the study noted.

Having a pet nearby, especially a dog, can make you feel more secure.

Large dog breeds like German shepherds and Rottweilers make for great deterrents from outside threats, allowing their owners to feel safer. The popularity of Rottweilers has risen in recent years thanks to " their loyalty, confidence and protective instincts. "

You always have someone to snuggle with on cold nights.

While pets may disturb their sleep at times, some owners enjoy the comfort of curling up with their pet close by. They can make you feel at peace as you drift off to sleep.

Whether it's taking them for a walk or doing yoga, pets can make you more physically active.

Dubbed the " Lassie effect ," taking your dog for a walk also makes you more physically fit and increases the chance you're going to get your daily exercise.

You'll find immeasurable joy in playing fetch with your dog, or teaching your pet tricks.

Almost every dog owner knows the joy of playing fetch with them on a nice summer day. You can teach your dog to shake hands, roll over, and bark on command, but dogs aren't the only ones that can be taught tricks. Cats can also be trained to sit and high five on command. 

While they're not as fluffy as cats or dogs, birds like parrots can be life-long companions.

Birds are social creatures and love to play games and perform tricks. But unlike other animals, parrots and other birds have the ability to learn and mimic human speech. They also have life spans on par with a human's, with some parrots living to be over 100, meaning you'll have a friend for life.

Owning a pet can help your child's learning.

Having a pet at an early age can boost a child's confidence and empathy levels , according to Blue Cross. Pets are natural listeners, and your child may feel more comfortable practicing their reading skills aloud in front of a pet than another person. 

A pet can also teach your child about responsibility.

According to a national survey by the American Pet Product Association, 58 percent of pet owners said their animals help teach their children to be responsible. From an early age, a child can help feed, walk, and bathe a family pet.

Pets can also be the inspiration for great creative works.

Pets inspire people in various of ways. English actor Oliver Reed reviewed his movie script with his cat, Felix, nearby. When he was coming up with his theories, Albert Einstein would often watch his cat, Tiger, move about. It was an injured dog that inspired Florence Nightingale to become a nurse. 

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• Main content

• MIND, BODY, WONDER

Do pets really make people happier and healthier?

While there is evidence that pets are great at curbing loneliness and boosting your physical activity, other purported benefits may not be as rooted in science as some believe.

Dog has long been called man’s best friend. It is an assessment that is often based on the dog’s behavior: its loyalty, love, and eagerness to please. Pet owners like Sharon Reid of Grand Rapids, Michigan, says she’s experienced such devotion firsthand. “After my husband passed, my dog was the most reliable constant in my life to help me through the difficult months that followed.”

Among the most widely understood and accepted health benefits of pet ownership is that pets provide better coping strategies for stress, can promote greater empathy and compassion, and that their companionship “can protect people from the ravages of loneliness," says Alan Beck, a professor of animal ecology and the director of the Center for the Human-Animal Bond at Purdue University in Indiana.

These benefits are reflected in a recent survey from the American Psychiatric Association, which revealed that 86 percent of owners feel their pets have a mostly positive impact on their mental health; and that some 90 percent consider the animal to be a member of the family.

But understanding the degree to which pets contribute to the mental health and wellbeing of their owners is a matter of some debate among scholars. While most academics agree that certain benefits are well established, others may not be as rooted in scientific evidence as some believe.

Better cardio and mental health from pet ownership

Among the established benefits is that pet/owner interactions can enhance one’s quality of life. Research shows that playing with a dog can improve one's mood , that reading to a pet can help children with learning development issues, that pets can lessen levels of the stress-related hormone cortisol in their owners, and that having a pet can increase one's physical activity levels, according to   the American Heart Association.

Indeed, Reid says that taking her Australian Shepherd out for a walk is sometimes the only time she devotes to exercise. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that pet-inspired fitness can " decrease blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and triglyceride levels .”

There's also broad consensus on the mental health benefits that come from frequently connecting with another living thing.

"Having a non-judgmental confidant can serve to buffer the effects of stress on both physical and psychological health outcomes," explains Nancy Gee, a professor of psychiatry and director of the Center for Human-Animal Interaction at Virginia Commonwealth University.

Animals may also improve their owners’ academic performance. "In two separate studies ( one with six to eight-year-old children , the other with university students ) interacting with a dog increased executive functioning, which is a cluster of processes that allow us to plan and stay on task," Gee says.

Improved outcomes for the elderly, those with medical conditions

Pet ownership has also been shown to help a wide variety of people, including some dealing with specific mental health conditions.

One study published by the American Psychological Association in the Society of Counseling Psychology's Human-Animal Interaction Bulletin,   found that therapy dogs are particularly helpful in reducing symptoms like inattention and diminished social skills related to attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children. Another   shows how petting an animal can relieve symptoms of anxiety, and additional research   demonstrates how having a pet can increase social behaviors of kids with autism.

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A 2022 study shows that victims of PTSD are also buoyed by pet ownership. "Our research has found that having a PTSD service dog is not only associated with less PTSD symptoms for veterans, but is also linked with less anger, less social isolation, and better resilience to stress," explains Kerri Rodriguez, an assistant professor of human-animal interaction at the College of Veterinary Medicine at The University of Arizona.

It's also worth noting that some older adults may gain benefits from pet ownership. "The comfort from having pets is especially important for those that have fewer close relationships with friends and family, such as older adults," says Rodriguez. She notes that having a dog can help the elderly connect with others when they take it out for a walk or a visit to the park. "These small social interactions can be really important to people who experience social isolation in addition to providing vital companionship at home."

When benefits are overstated

Despite such established benefits, there are cases in which pet ownership may get more credit than it deserves.

"The scientific evidence for the health benefits of pet ownership is overall more mixed than I think is generally perceived by the public," says Megan Mueller, an associate professor of human-animal interaction at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University.

For example, Hal Herzog, an emeritus professor of psychology at Western Carolina University, says that people with pets have not been shown to necessarily fare better than non-pet owners during the pandemic as some believed, and that no research has demonstrated that "as a group, pet owners are happier than non-owners."

Possibly the most frequently overstated benefit of pet ownership is its impact on people who deal with clinical depression. In reviewing 30 peer-reviewed studies measuring an association between pet ownership and depression, Herzog says he found that 18 of them showed "no difference" in depression rates between pet owners and non-owners. "Pet ownership is not a particularly reliable predictor of depressive symptoms," echoes Mueller.

Matching a pet with the right owner  

One thing scholars agree on, however, is that for people who want to own pets, matching the right pet to each owner is essential. Mueller explains that the health benefits of having a pet are more likely determined by the manner of interaction between the owner and animal. "As with people, whether or not you have a partner in life is probably not as good of a predictor of positive outcomes as the quality   of that relationship," she says.

That means choosing the right pet both individually and within a specific breed or species. While the benefits of dog and cat ownership are by far the most studied, other research has been conducted on the health benefits of human-pet interaction with other animals as well. These include fish , guinea pigs , horses , and even pet insects .

In choosing a pet, Mueller advises considering things like the type of activities one likes to do, who else in the home will be impacted by the animal, cost and affordability, one's goals and objectives, and the amount of time one wants to spend caring for the pet.

"If you love hiking in the woods, perhaps you would be a good match with a high-energy dog” (such as a Border Collie, Boxer, or Jack Russell Terrier) she says. "But if you prefer to hang out on the couch with your pet, you might be better suited for a lower-energy dog, a cat, or a small pet such as a guinea pig."

Regardless of which animal one chooses, it's also important to remember most pet owners get out of the relationship what they put in.

"In order to reap the full benefits of pet ownership," Gee says, "you'll want to spend time with your pet and actively engage in activities you both enjoy."

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Can Dogs Eat Plums? Here Are Some Pitfalls and Precautions to Know

Plums could be either be a danger to your pup or a fun treat.

Can dogs eat plums? Pet parents who would like to share the occasional fruit with their dog may find themselves asking this question. The answer is yes, dogs can eat plums, but proper precautions need to be taken to prevent serious and potentially life-threatening consequences.

Find out how you can safely share plums with your dog.  

Can Dogs Eat Plums?

Yes, dogs can eat plums, but only if the stems, leaves, and pits have been removed. Plum stems, leaves, and pits are considered toxic, and these toxic components can cause cyanide poisoning in dogs. However, the flesh and skin are generally considered safe.

If you intend to feed your dog plums, it’s best to do so as the occasional treat rather than as a regular part of your dog’s diet. Keep in mind that treats, including fruits such as plums, should not make up more than 10% of your dog’s caloric intake. The remaining 90% of their calories need to come from their well-balanced dog food. 

A couple of slices of a prune, which is a dried plumb, can be safe for most healthy dog. However, the same components that need to be removed from a plumb need to be removed from a prune.

You should always check with your dog’s veterinarian before you feed a new food, especially if your dog has a chronic health condition like food allergies or diabetes.

Potential Risks and Concerns

There are several significant risks to consider if you’re going to feed your dog plums.

• Cyanide poisoning : The stems, leaves, and pits of plums can cause cyanide poisoning. Even chewing on a pit can result in poisoning. Signs of cyanide poisoning include brick red gums, dilated pupils, panting, difficulty breathing, collapse, and shock.
• Intestinal blockage : Plum pits can become stuck in the stomach or intestines, leading to gastrointestinal obstruction and vomiting. In some cases, surgery may be required to resolve the issue.
• Choking : Due to their shape and size, plum pits are a choking hazard.
• High sugar levels : The high amount of sugar in fruits like plums can contribute to obesity and may not be safe for dogs with health issues like diabetes.

After feeding plum to your dog, it’s best to monitor them for any reactions, such as excessive drooling, vomiting, tremors, or loss of appetite. If your dog has any signs of illness after eating a plum, contact your veterinarian.

Health Benefits of Plums for Dogs

Plums can provide a good source of fiber that will help your dog have healthy bowel movements. Plums also contain ivitamin A, vitamin C, and potassium. This fruit also contains a lot of antioxidants that may help reduce inflammation in the body.

If your dog is eating a well-balanced diet that’s been approved by the Association of American Feed Control and if that food is making up at least 90% of their daily calories, then they are meeting all of their daily nutritional needs with or without plums.

Alternatives to Plums

While plums can be safe when properly prepared, there are other fruits that may make safer treats for your dog. Make sure to discuss any new foods with your veterinarian before giving them to your dog.

• Strawberries
• Blueberries

While your dog can eat plums, there are significant dangers if certain components of the fruit aren’t removed. Make sure you understand how to ensure a plum is safe for your dog. Otherwise, it may be best to select a different fruit to give as the occasional treat.

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