Friday 11 May 2012

The Healing Powers of Pets


I have long admired what professionally trained guide dogs for the blind do for their owners in getting them around the place in order to negate certain aspects of their disability. The average domestic pet, such as a cat, dog (or even a goldfish), can provide lots of health benefits for their owners.  The therapeutic effects of having a pet can be listed as follows: it can reduce loneliness in certain circumstances; reduce stress; provide social interaction; encourage exercise and playfulness; and provide love and affection without any qualification.

I distinctly remember from my childhood, when I lived with my parents in a countryside location, the very special bond that existed between an old man, who lived in the neighbourhood on his own, and his dog. Even hardened criminals in prison have shown long-term changes to their behaviour after interaction with pets; some of them as a consequence experienced mutual affection for the first time in their lives.
 Pets, such as cats and dogs, fulfil the basic human need to touch. Recent studies carried out in both the UK and USA have confirmed that some of the health benefits to humans of interaction with pets are as follows:
·  Pet owners are less likely to suffer from depression than those without pets.
·  In stressful situations, people with pets have lower blood pressure than those without pets.
·  Playing with pets has a calming and relaxing effect on the body.
·  Pet owners have a lower incidence of heart disease than those without pets.
·  Heart attack victims with pets survive longer than those without.
·  In the over 65 age group, pet owners make 30% on average fewer visits to their doctor than non- pet owners.
Having a pet can encourage you to make healthy lifestyle changes. Examples of these are as follows:  do more exercise, such as taking the dog for a walk; provide companionship to combat isolation, loneliness or depression; help meet new people, such as other pet owners; the companionship of a pet such as a dog can help reduce anxiety; provide a certain structure to your day in having to exercise or feed the pet; and provide stress relief in the form of the mutual benefit received from cuddling a pet.
Pets can provide the following health benefits for the elderly:
·  They can bring new meaning and joy to your life in situations such as after you have lost the companionship of work colleagues due to retirement, your children have left home, or you have lost your spouse.   
·  They can help you stay connected in your neighbourhood. For instance, you can easily engage in conversations with people while taking the dog for a walk in the local park.
·   Pets can help boost your vitality; they can encourage playfulness, laughter and exercise, all of which can boost your immune system and increase your energy levels.
Children can also greatly benefit from being raised in pet- owning families. Studies have shown that children who grow up with pets have less allergies and a lower incidence of asthma; many also learn responsibility, compassion and love from interaction with their pets. Pets can also occupy a child’s attention constructively when mum and dad aren’t present.
There is evidence to support the view that a pet can be an aid to learning for a child, in that it can stimulate a child’s curiosity and imagination. A kid who, for instance, trains a dog to do a new trick also benefits from the accomplishment. Looking after a furry friend can also fulfil a child’s need to be caring and the end result can be immense joy.
Owning a pet may not be for everyone as they cost money to maintain, and require time and attention. However, the benefits of owning a pet can be great for those who can afford both the cost and the time.

28 comments:

  1. Greetings from Malaysia. Your blog is awesome! Are you a doctor or something? :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks for your comment Muhamad. No, I am not a doctor- if you go to the " About Me " link you will learn how I got into this.

    ReplyDelete
  3. This is so true, i have 2 dogs and 1 cat. Those babys are so therapeutic! :) After writing my book, i do that few hours/day, they just want to play and are so happy and i forget my "own" world, which comes after writing..

    Cheers, Maarit

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thanks for your comment Maarit. I am glad to get the backing of a true pet owner such as yourself.

    ReplyDelete
  5. We miss our doggie. Would love to get another some day, but we will have to wait for now. Very nice post!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Thanks for your comment Columba Lisa. I hope you don't have to wait too long for a replacement pet.

    ReplyDelete
  7. This is very true. I was having an hard time and was told I should get a pet. I got a kitten and have noticed that I have been so much happier just by looking at her! Very relevant and true blog!

    Lucy

    ReplyDelete
  8. Thanks very much for your comment Lucy.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Oh! I love pets! I adore birds and dogs. My shih tzu is a joy though she is stubborn. :)

    You have informative posts.

    ReplyDelete
  10. True. That's why we have with us more than 10 dogs! 2 japanese breed and 10+ native breed. We also have cats and love birds!! You've got a very informative site. Keep it up!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Thanks for your comment Ric. By the numbers you quote, you appear to have lots of furry friends.

    ReplyDelete
  12. You have a very informative blog, I love it! I agree that pets are healers, that's why I love them. I hope you can visit my blog at http://thealphadogattitude.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for your support Kristine. I will visit your blog.

      Delete
  13. This is very true. I personally experienced this. I had an extreme case of loneliness and I do not know how to get over this. Good thing my neighbor hand me a cute pug and surprisingly, I found that this pug makes a good company.

    I managed to talk my feelings out to my pug and bit by bit, I gained confidence and I was happy.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Very Good and True, Well Written. Jerri Davis

    ReplyDelete
  15. nice blog i know what you mean i would be heartbroken and lonely without my cat =^_^= <3

    ReplyDelete
  16. Awesome article - thoroughly enjoyed it, and shared it on my Facebook page =)

    ReplyDelete
  17. Thanks Cilly for your comment and support.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Great Article. I think you care for pets as well. Pets can, and do, give great benefit to those who raise them. I love my pets, and my weakness is cats, as you may have gathered from my blogs.

    ReplyDelete
  19. This is so true! I have 1 dog and 2 cats. They bring me tons of joy.

    ReplyDelete
  20. This is such a great article. My elderly Aunt's 49 year old son died last week - and having witnessed the comfort she gets from the Retriever dog of her son and his two cats and the way the dog, especially has drawn in neighbours to help by walking him and visiting her, I would have to wholeheartedly agree with everything you say.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Fantastic place to spend your best time. Keep up with your great work,
    Find My Pet Android Version

    ReplyDelete
  22. Thanks very much for your comment Liama

    ReplyDelete