5 Ways A Pet Improves Your Health

Do you feel better when your pet is in the room? You are not imagining things. Spending quality time with animals such as a pet cat or dog can have a great impact on your health and mood that is positive. The fact is that pets can be stress-fighters that calm you down.

"A Man and His Dog"
(C) Allen Pearson, All Rights Reserved

On average, it has been found that owners of pets are better off than those who don’t have pets, especially when they have a close relationship. The reasons why the relationships are meaningful do vary from one person to another. For folks who are athletic, this includes playing Frisbee or ball in the garden or the community park. For those who love staying indoors, you can feel connected to your pet just by petting your dog. There are other ways your pet can help you feel better as well.

Baby’s System of Immunity
In families with pets, raising a baby will tend to result in less of a likelihood for acquiring asthma and allergies. Studies show that this has to start early, ideally before a child turns six months of age. In their first year of life, babies that had cats or dogs in the home had less ear infections and cold than infants that come from homes without pets.

A Better Mood
Folks with pets are generally less lonely, more trusting and happier than those who do not have a pet. Also, they have fewer visits to doctors for even minor issues. One probably reason is that your pet gives you a sense of meaning and belonging, like you have better control in general.

Social Magnets
Connecting with other people becomes easier when you have a pet. People who see others walking down the sidewalk would most likely not strike a conversation. On the other hand, the likelihood of this increases when the other person is walking a dog. It seems to be more acceptable in general to approach people who happen to have dogs compared to those that do not.

Soothing Stress
It can feel good to pet your dog or cat. This helps your body release a hormone for relaxation and cuts down on stress hormone levels. It can also lower blood pressure.

Healthy Hearts
Your pet dog could help you have less of likelihood to get heart-disease. The reason for this is that owners of pet dogs walk their pets more frequently and have lower blood pressure than those who do not have pet dogs.

Mark Perissinotto has been a practicing veterinarian for over 20 years, 14 years of which he was the owner and principal of a busy multi-vet mixed animal hospital. One of the two co-founders of Vet Shop Australia, graduated from the University of Queensland with Bachelor of Veterinary Science and one of the best retailer of pet supplies Australia.