For those of us that have a furry friend, we know they make us feel good. Maybe you can't put your finger on it, but when you spent time with your pet, the world seems to be a better place. There are a number of medical and scientific reasons behind this, and I will elaborate on a few of them today.
1 ) Stress Reduction
When you spend time with your pet, or any pet, your stress levels are dramatically reduced. Studies have shown that children who go to the doctors office with no pet present have very high stress levels. If that same child is in the doctors office with a dog the child hasn't even met before, the child's stress level and heart rate go down significantly. The same is true for adults, although adults tend to be more comfortable around familiar pets.
2 ) Blood Pressure
People were tested after having recently gone through a tense situation. When they were united with their pets, the effects were immediate and drastic; Their blood pressure started to go down as soon as they saw their pets, and kept going down until it reached normal levels. People who spent time with their pets every day had an overall reduction in blood pressure over a long period of time.
3 ) Cholesterol
Studies have shown that the simple act of stroking your pet can cause a reduction in cholesterol levels. People who have owned a pet for over a year had average cholesterol levels that were 20% lower than people similar in age an weight with no pet.
4 ) Cognitive Function
A group of pet owners was placed one by one in an isolated room and presented with a difficult math problem. While most people struggled with the problem at first, when their pet was introduced into the room, they solved the problem more quickly and efficiently. People who were not pet owners took longer on average to solve the problem than pet owners did, with or without pets present!
Elderly people suffering from dementia have been shown to be more capable of taking care of themselves and performing daily tasks when they were pet owners. They were able to cook, clean, bathe and dress themselves faster and without help.
5) Overall Health
It was proven in a large study (over 9,000 people!!!), that people who owned a pet over a long period of time had less doctor visits, sick days, and chronic health issues than those with no pets. People who owned a pet for a shorter period of time had a reduced health level, and people with no pet turned out to have the most overall health problems. "But I can't afford a pet"...Well, pet ownership is certainly less expensive than all those doctor visits, sick days and insurance deductibles!!!!!
Pet ownership isn't for everyone. It is a responsibility, and some people are more stressed out by that responsibility than the benefits of having a pet would negate. Some people are on the road all the time, and can't necessarily take a pet with them. And some people simply don't like animals. But if you don't fall into one of the above categories, and you don't already own a pet, do some research. There are many kinds of pets ranging from the usual suspects to the exotic. But somewhere out there, an animal wants to share their love with you and make your life a little less stressful!!!