Why Keeping Pets can Improve your Health
Pets: you can love them and hate them simultaneously. One moment they are peeing on your favourite shirt, and the next they give you more TLC than you have ever received in your life. But regardless of what they do or how you feel about them, there are many health advantages to having a pet:
1) Decreased stress levels and blood pressure. Research conducted by the University of Warwick has revealed that, in many cases, stroking or playing with a pet relaxes the person and lowers their blood pressure. In another study, researchers tested whether pets had this effect on stockbrokers who had high blood pressure. It was found that stockbrokers that were pet owners had a significantly lower blood pressure reading than those who were not. Of course, you have to like animals in order for this to ring true; if you are nervous or afraid then pets will probably make you more anxious as opposed to more relaxed.
2) Recovery from illness. Pets have been known to help people in miraculous ways, but the most common success stories involve heart attack patients. Many studies have shown that pet owners who have suffered from a heart attack survive longer than those who dont, and have a lower risk of heart disease. Pets also offer a certain amount of social support for someone who someone who spends a lot of time in bed recovering from a disease or surgery, which contributes to a speedy recovery.
In extreme cases, such as when a person is in a coma, surgeons have even recommended for a pet to be brought to the patients bedside. While there is no real evidence to support this claim, there have been incidences when the pets presence helped the patient awake from their coma. Dogs, in particular, have also been known to offer relief to Alzheimers and Parkinsons patients.
3) Social enrichment. As most domesticated animals are very social creatures, pets can be highly enriching to your social life. Whether it is a dog follows you everywhere, or a cat that crawls on to your lap to be stroked, pets provide a constant stream of social interaction. They can also be great ice-breakers and topics of conversation, both among friends and strangers.
4) Happiness. People often forget how happy a pet can make us: they help us cope with difficult situations such as pain and loss, and have even helped people suffering from depression to feel better. Stroking a cat, dog, or rabbit elevates serotonin levels in the brain, and some psychologists have even used pets in their therapy sessions. Being greeted by a purring cat or an ecstatic dog every time you return home can be a great self-esteem booster, especially if the world has not been on your side. This is also why pets are sometimes taken to elderly homes ” they work wonders against loneliness and isolation.
Regardless of whether you face unemployment or divorce, your pet will continue to love you unconditionally; and it is precisely this love that keeps human beings healthy and happy.