How Do Our Beloved Pets Influence Our Well-Being?
Pets are an integral part of a family unit these days. But do we truly understand the influence they have on our lives?
Don’t pets make for great companions? They are loyal, love us unconditionally and are great for cuddles but their purpose is far greater than simply being our cuddly companions. With over 85 million US and 12 million UK households having some kind of pet, it is important that we consider their significant role in our lives, especially regarding our physical and mental well-being.
However, not everyone is keen on having a pet pal nor do they consider the extent to which they have an impact on our lives. It is considered that they have a positive impact on our overall physical and mental well-being. The aim of this article is to consider to what extent do pets play a role in protecting and maintaining our well-being.
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How Do Pets Affect Our Well-Being?
Pets can bring a smile to anyone’s face at any point of the day and as mentioned before, they have a lot of positive effects on not just our lifestyle but also our well-being. This section looks closely at how pets can affect our well-being.
a. Increased Physical Well-Being
Pets play a huge role in creating a healthy lifestyle. In fact, the bond between pet parents and their beloved companions has shown to have a lot of benefits to their physical health including reduced blood pressure levels, cholesterol levels and triglyceride levels. Many dog owners enjoy physical activities with their pets such as walking, jogging, hiking and swimming allowing them to easily meet their fitness goals.
However, it is not just individuals who have dogs as pets reaping the benefits of a healthy lifestyle. In fact, research has shown that spending time with pets tends to reduce stress levels and blood pressure and that includes all animals from dogs to boa constrictors!
b. Reduces Levels of Anxiety & Depression
Spending time with pets increases the levels of dopamine and serotonin which in turn helps reduce levels of anxiety we experience in our everyday lives. In fact, according to previous research, petting a real animal can result in a significant reduction in anxiety levels among individuals when compared to those who only pet a toy or do not pet any animal at all. Adults are not the only ones who benefit from animal interaction. Even children as young as four years old have been observed to have lower levels of anxiety in the presence of a pet in the home. However, when research looks into a more realistic scenario, such as the recent pandemic, pets did not seem to improve the mental well-being of teenagers in comparison to non-pet-owning teenagers.
Similarly, it is a popular belief that pets can alleviate symptoms of other mental health illnesses such as depression and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Studies go as far as to show that pets help individuals with depression and anxiety focus on the present because they help individuals perceive situations as less stressful. However, these beliefs are based on just a handful of studies and thus cannot fully imply that the presence of pets helps reduce symptoms of depression. In fact, research has found that although cat owners had reduced levels of negative moods, they did not show signs of increased levels of good moods.
c. Help in Childhood Development
Having a pet, or multiple pets, in a household has also been shown to influence the development of children during their formative years. Positive relationships with pets have been shown to increase interpersonal skills in children, by helping them develop non-verbal communication, compassion and empathy.
Research has also shown that pets can enhance cognitive abilities among children. In fact, the mere presence of a dog in the room has been shown to lead children to make fewer mistakes in object categorisation tasks. This shows that the presence of a dog can have a positive impact on task performance.
d. Reduce Feelings of Loneliness
One of the many reasons individuals choose to have a pet is for companionship. The mere knowledge that you are not alone is considered to prevent individuals from falling sick and is even thought to increase the longevity of one’s life. Many pet owners tend to converse with their furry, or not-so-furry, companions which allows them to vent out their stressors from the day.
Although there are findings that suggest that having pets can be beneficial to our physical and mental well-being, literature in this area is still limited. Thus, to consider that these findings imply that every household should get a pet or two would be prudent. In fact, the cost of caring for and raising a furry friend, such as complex medical needs and financial costs may actually make having a pet all the more taxing.
Given there are mixed findings from existing studies regarding pets, we cannot be certain whether the presence of one is truly beneficial for our well-being. Further research in this field is required in order for us to completely understand the effects that pets can have on your well-being. So before you head to your nearest animal shelter to adopt a furry, or not-so-furry, companion, you should first consider whether adding a new member to your household is a viable option for you. After all, if you are not ready to take the responsibility to care for a pet, their presence can actually have the opposite effect on your well-being.
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