Bringing a pet into your family comes with loads of benefits, they are amazing friends. There is nothing quite like coming home to your pet. Pet owners will tell you their pet gives them so much joy and happiness. It is something you can’t really understand until you feel that yourself. (Right now I have one dog trying to lie down on my laptop and the other nudging me to scratch his belly.) People all over the world will attest to how pets changed their lives, how their life wouldn’t be the same coming home without their cat or dog meeting them at the door. Our pets really are amazing animals.
There are loads of proven benefits of pet ownership some pretty obvious and some not so obvious. Here our 10 benefits of pet ownership you might not know:
They can keep you fit
This is especially true of dog owners, although we do know someone who walks their cat on a lead, and the cat loves getting out and about. All dogs love getting out for a walk, they need it in order to stay health and happy. If some of the time you feel a bit lazy but would love to do more, then a dog will help with this. They will be carrying their lead about all night until they get you out the door. They can also be amazing running partners if that’s your exercise of choice, check out Canicross. (You’ll probably have a local canicross club)
You’ll never be lonely again
Whether you live by yourself, or you and your partner work different hours, it can get lonely at home. At least until you bring a pet into your family. Cats and dogs both make amazing companions, they will miss you every time, it doesn’t matter if you’re gone 10 minutes or 5 hours. They will always be happy to see you. You can tell them about your day or just snuggle on the sofa. They will always want to spend time with you!
Pets lower stress levels
Life can be stressful, and it can be seen throughout the world that people have heightened levels of anxiety which can lead to health problems. Pets can help massively here. From walking your dog, to just having a cat lie down in your lap, pets can help ease our worried minds.Studies have shown that pet owners tend to have lower blood pressure and lower cholesterol people who don’t own a pet. One study even found that people with borderline hypertension when they adopted dogs, their blood pressure declined a significant amount within 5 months.
They can make you feel safe
I don’t know about anyone else, but I hate being home alone, having my dogs with me makes me feel a whole lot safer. Not to mention, burglars are a lot less likely to target a house that is clearly home to a dog. Some breeds make amazing guard dogs and can even protect you while out and about.
They provide companionship to adults and children alike
Pets can be really useful as support animals and not just a guide dog for a blind person, but emotional support animals, they come in all shapes and sizes. Children with the likes of autism and other learning disorders often find it difficult to take to other people, but many have no issue at all chatting away to animals.In another example criminals in prison show long-term changes in their behaviour after spending time with pets, for many of them they experienced mutual affection for the first time ever.
They can help with loads of medical services
Pets can help with a range of medical services, from the obvious guide dog to the not so obvious dog that helps with epilepsy and other forms of seizure. Dogs can provide a 100% reliable warning up to 50 minutes prior to an oncoming seizure. This gives their owner time to find a safe place to have their seizure. You can read some amazing stories here.
They can teach children responsibility
Getting a pet can be a lot of hard work, amazingly rewarding work, but hard work all the same. I say teach children responsibility but I mean all of us, getting a pet is a huge responsibility and you are agreeing to care for that pet for the rest of its life.For a kid getting a pet can teach them a whole lot of practical skills, such as lifting the poo, cleaning that litter tray out or getting up early at the weekends to walk your pet. It can also help develop some other soft skills such as empathy which are vital throughout life.
They can surprisingly improve your immune system
Most pets spend a lot of their time outside and of course that means lots of dirt and germs! This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. These extra germs can help improve your immunity to colds and other mild illnesses. Studies have actually shown that babies who live with a dog tend to experience fewer infections and are generally healthier than those babies who don’t.
Friendship
When I walk our dogs, I know people n the park by the name of their dog not by their own name. It just can’t be said enough how friendly the pet community is. Just look on Facebook. I bet there is a Facebook group or page based around pet ownership in your area. Having a pet is an amazing way to meet new people and you could end up meeting some of your closest friends through your pet.
They can stop your children developing allergies
While this one is not guaranteed, a pet can stop your children from developing certain allergies, the available evidence suggest the dander in their fur helps here. A recent study in mice also shows that it can help protect against asthma in later life by altering the intestinal bacteria. This effect is strongest with dogs but also occurs with our cats. So there you have it, 10 great reasons to get a pet, although always make smart decisions when deciding what type pet to get. Consider how much time you can dedicate to getting a pet, how much exercise they need, how much you travel etc.As we know after the Christmas period and Christmas puppies, pet rescue centres are inundated with unwanted dogs (and some cats), through no fault of their own they don’t get the best start to life.If you are considering getting a pet, your local rescue centres will have loads of loving amazing pets that need a home. The added benefit of these rescue centres is many will help teach you how to best care for your pet and ensure you’re well matched to your new best friend.
