Dog owners frequently stop and talk to each other on walks, hikes, or in a dog park. Pet owners also meet new people in pet stores, clubs, and training classes. Reducing anxiety. The companionship of an animal can offer comfort, help ease anxiety , and build self-confidence for people anxious about going out into the world.
Adding structure and routine to your day. Many pets, especially dogs, require a regular feeding and exercise schedule. Having a consistent routine keeps an animal balanced and calm—and it can work for you, too. Providing sensory stress relief. Touch and movement are two healthy ways to quickly manage stress. Stroking a dog, cat, or other animal can lower blood pressure and help you quickly feel calmer and less stressed. As well as providing vital companionship, owning a pet can play an important role in healthy aging by helping you to:.
Find meaning and joy in life. You may retire from your career or your children may move far away. Caring for a pet can bring pleasure and help boost your morale, optimism, and sense of self-worth. Stay connected. Retirement , illness, death, and relocation can take away close friends and family members.
And making new friends can get harder. Pets, especially dogs, are a great way for older adults to spark up conversations and meet new people. Boost your vitality. You can overcome many of the physical challenges associated with aging by taking good care of yourself. Dogs, cats, and other pets encourage playfulness , laughter, and exercise, which can help boost your immune system and increase your energy.
Not only do children who grow up with pets have less risk of allergies and asthma, many also learn responsibility, compassion, and empathy from having a dog or cat. Like adults, children can benefit from playing with a pet. It can be a source of calmness and relaxation, as well as a source of stimulation for the brain and body.
Playing with a pet can even be a doorway to learning for a child. The rewards of training a dog to perform a new trick, for example, can teach kids the importance of perseverance.
Caring for a furry friend can also offer another benefit to a child: immense joy. Some children with autism or other learning difficulties are better able to interact with pets than people.
Autistic children often rely on nonverbal cues to communicate, just as animals do. And learning to first connect with a pet may even help an autistic child in their interactions with people.
Owning a pet is beneficial and comforting only for those who love and appreciate domestic animals and have the time and money to keep a pet happy and healthy. Pets cost money. Food bills, veterinary care, licenses, grooming costs, toys, bedding, boarding fees, and other maintenance expenses can mount up.
Pets require time and attention. Dogs need daily exercise to stay calm and well-balanced; most other pets require at least daily care and attention. Owning a pet can curb some of your social activity. A dog can only be left alone for a limited time. Pets can be destructive. Running water and soap are best for hand washing, but you can use hand sanitizer until running water and soap are available. Adults should always assist young children with hand washing.
Whether you have a dog, cat, horse, parakeet, gerbil, bearded dragon, or other fun pet , providing regular, life-long veterinary care is important for keeping your pet and family healthy. Regular veterinary visits are essential to good pet health. Provide your pet with a good diet, fresh water, clean bedding, and plenty of exercise. Some pets can carry ticks that can spread serious diseases like Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever to people.
In areas with plague —including some rural areas in the western US—fleas can be a risk to both animals and their owners. By keeping your pet healthy, you help to keep yourself and your family healthy.
In addition to hand washing, practicing good pet hygiene can help prevent the spread of germs between pets and people. Keep pets and their supplies out of the kitchen, and disinfect pet habitats and supplies outside the house when possible. Never clean supplies in the kitchen sink, food preparation areas, or the bathroom sink.
Dog and cat poop can contain parasites and germs that can be harmful to people. Keep children away from areas that might contain dog or cat poop to prevent them from getting roundworms and hookworms.
Pets can teach children compassion and responsibility. However, children younger than 5 years old should be supervised while interacting with animals to ensure the safety of the child and the pet. Adults should supervise and be extra cautious when children younger than 5 years old have direct contact with farm animals, including animals at petting zoos and fairs. Although they may look cute and cuddly, avoid touching wild animals to reduce the risk of illness and injury.
You might find a young animal that appears to be abandoned and want to rescue it, but often its parent is close by. April Now, we have peer-reviewed scientific evidence that tells us: Service dogs can help alleviate symptoms in veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder PTSD ; Pets help owners manage their feelings and provide a powerful distraction from the stress of having a mental health problem ; and Therapy dogs help reduce stress in college students.
References: 1 Results of the highly-anticipated HABRI-funded study, Preliminary efficacy of service dogs as a complementary treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder in military members and veterans, have been published in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. Your name. Email The content of this field is kept private and will not be shown publicly.
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