What a Pet can do for you

If you ask most pet owners why they keep pets, they are likely to reply that loyalty and companionship are the qualities in their pet that they value most highly. These are undoubtedly important factors but they only represent a small part of the benefit to be had from pet ownership.

First, there are considerable physical advantages to be had from looking after a pet. Obviously, the owner of a dog will benefit from the exercise that he or she is obliged to take while walking the dog and this is often evident in improved health. But this benefit is not confined to those individuals who own energetic dogs. Studies originally done in the USA have been confirmed by work carried out at the University of Swansea. This suggests that merely playing with a pet can help to lower your blood pressure – playing with the dog or cat at home after a hard day’s work can help you to relax and unwind.

One of the joys of dog ownership is simply that of being in charge of a healthy, handsome and energetic animal. This sort of pride is quite justified; taking proper care of a dog can be a time consuming business and a much admired animal is a fair reward.

Pets also provide good talking points and discussing them is usually safe, neutral territory where everybody can participate. Dog owners in particular love talking about their animals. There is evidence to suggest that dog owners are far more likely to talk to each other than are people without dogs. In some cases this shared bond has led to lasting friendships.

Another psychological advantage is that pets, especially dogs and cats, allow their owners to express their feelings in an open fashion which may not always be welcomed by humans. Dogs and cats are particularly clever at interpreting the moods of their owners and of acting to please them accordingly.