The Physical and Emotional Benefits of Owning Pets

Owning a pet is a profoundly rewarding experience, as the many millions of people who have pets already know.  How is it that so many people have come to share their lives and their homes with a dog, cat, or other animal companion?  What do we get out of the care we lavish upon them?  For the most part, the answer is self-evident:  Our pets gift us with friendship, with loyalty, and with unconditional love.  They are members of our family; they accept us for who we are.  This seems like a more than ample compensation for the food, shelter, and protection we in turn offer them, but the fact of the matter is that the physical and emotional benefits of owning a pet are far more significant than most of us ever realized.

Taking care of a pet inspires feelings of compassion.  For many children, for instance, helping to take care of the family pet is one of the first times they experience a sense of responsibility.  It also teaches children how to feel empathy for another living being.  This emotional development is extremely important.  It has long been known that children who fail to show empathy are exhibiting signs of stunted emotional growth and have a greater likelihood of serious social problems later in life.  The kindness animals teach our children to possess is something that will benefit them the rest of their lives.

Emotionally, pets serve a more simple purpose:  They keep us from being lonely.  For those suffering from some forms of depression, this can be a blessing beyond words.  Those within the throes of depression are often isolated because of their illness, and the affectionate companionship of a pet can be a light in the darkness.  For the elderly, too, owning a pet holds many benefits.  Taking care of a living creature can provide a sense of fulfillment and a purpose to life.

The physical benefits of owning pets are even more impressive.  Having a pet can actually reduce one's cholesterol and blood pressure.  Not only that, but due to the fact that pets can significantly relieve levels of stress, people who own pets actually have a lower chance of becoming ill.  Dogs, cats, and other pets are even known to increase the survival rate of pet owners who have suffered heart attacks because of this.

In a more general sense, owning certain kinds of pets keep people healthier through the amount of activity or exercise that is necessary for the animal's day-to-day care, such as with walking a dog, riding a horse, or many types of play that are part of the fun of having pets.  Daily exercise is as good for us as it is for the animals we care for, and helps improve circulation, metabolism, and overall heart health.

This bond is not one-sided.  Cynics might sneer that animals don't share our affection, that they're only in it - so to speak - for the free food.  This is far from true.  Our pets feel love for us and there are numerous examples of pets that saved an owner's life by sacrificing their own.  Through the compassion they inspire, owning pets makes us more human, and that is likely the biggest benefit of all.

Learn all about the benefits of pet ownership as well as explore the exotic side of nature at:
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