Pets and Your Health
Pets are good for us: it's something all we pet owners have known for years... now we have research to support our claims.
Pets may reduce visits to the doctor
Walking a dog regularly provides great exercise benefits - at both ends of the leash. Pets in general are wonderful for all manner of health issues, ranging from weight management to improved bone density to helping reducing blood pressure and cholesterol. Certain insurance companies have even started offering lower life insurance rates for Australian pet owners whilst Australian pets have been credited with reducing the cost of health care within the public health system to the tune of up to AUD $1.5 billion dollars, according to 2001 estimates.
This in turn promotes human contact – how many films have you seen where the boy meets girl thanks to the dog’s antics?
Senior citizen pet owners may be less prone to depression and are more active than those who do not own pets. Increased levels of activity are not limited to elderly dog owners walking their pets – cat owners are equally active.
They won't cure cancer or heart disease, but they make people happy – the madly wagging tails, over the top greetings, hilarious antics and unconditional love can do wonders for seriously ill patients whilst also alleviating depression. Dog ownership can even increase the odds of survival for people who have had a heart attack.
Pets offer a sense of peace, calm and normality that cannot always be found in human relationships. An astounding 87% of women recovering from breastcancer said their pets were an important part of their support network. They also said that their pets made them feel cared for, offered tactile comfort, helped them express their feelings and still made them feel socially included.
A pet is a living and breathing being who depends on people for its wellbeing. For the human, it provides structure and a duty of care: you have to feed it, take it to the vet, empty the litter box and much more.
Inadvertently, pets can take centre stage during stressful situations – they’ll break the ice and promote laughter with their antics.
Guide dogs for the blind, dogs who visit nursing homes to bring happiness anda sense of calm to residents or resident cats in nursing homes - all of these pets perform a crucial role in society, providing guidance, assistance and a sense of calm.
