Why Keeping Pets can Improve your Health

by Andrew Mitchell

Pets: you can love and hate them at the same time. One moment theyre sinking their teeth into your expensive shoes, and the next, they shower you with affection. But regardless of what they do and how you feel about them, there is no denying that there are various health advantages of having a pet: 1) Lower blood pressure and less stress. Studies carried out by the University of Warwick have shown that interacting with pets (such as stroking them or playing with them) can lower your blood pressure and make you more relaxed. Another study tested to see if pets had the same effect on highly strung stockbrokers. The researchers found that the blood pressure reading of stockbrokers who owned pets was significantly lower than that of stockbrokers who did not keep pets. Of course, this does not ring true if everyone " if you do not like animals or are afraid of them, pets will most likely have the opposite effect. 2) Recovery from illness. Pets have been known to help people in astounding ways, but they have the greatest number of success stories with heart attack patients. Various studies show that patients who have suffered from a heart attack tend to live longer if they have a pet at home, and they are also less prone to heart disease than non-pet owners. Pets can also serve as a loyal support system to their bed-ridden owners, providing them with the comfort that results in a quicker recovery. Pets have been known to help seriously injured patients to emerge from comas. There is not much research available that supports than claim, but surgeons have recommended pets to be brought in to their injured owners bedside to see if it helps them recover. Dogs, in particular, have also been used in elderly homes because they helped minimize the symptoms of Parkinsons and Alzheimers disease. 3) Improvement in social life. Most domesticated animals are highly social creatures, and are therefore great company. Whether it is a dog that follows you around the house, or a cat that rubs up against your legs, pet owners have a constant source of social interaction. Pets can also be great conversation topics both in and outside the home. 4) Happiness. People often understand how happy a pet can make us: they help us deal with pain and loss, stick with us through our frustrations, and have even helped people combat depression. Some psychologists have used pets in their therapy sessions, because stroking a cat, rabbit, or dog raises proven to boost the brains serotonin levels. Being greeted at the door by an ecstatic dog or a purring cat when you come home from work every day can really raise your self-esteem, especially if you are having a bad day. This is also why pets are sometimes used in elderly homes " their mere presence disperses any loneliness or isolation. Regardless of whether you break up with a loved one or lose your job, your pet will love you no matter what; and that, in itself, is an essential quality that human beings cannot live without.