Whether you believe it or not, there are several reasons having a pet is good for your health. If you are observant enough, you will notice that those that already have pets keep having them. Even when one dies, they will get another one. It is because they are aware of the health benefits of keeping a pet.
However, there are some people who would have loved to keep pets but have pet allergies. If you are one of these people, it is important to know that there are natural ways to help pet allergies. Here are some of the reasons pets are good for your health.
1. Keeping pets help you deal with rejection better: While this may sound strange, research has confirmed it. The study found out that people who keep pets as family member are usually better prepared for rejection. The researcher who found this out said there are certain traits usually exhibited by pet keepers and this trait prevents them from negative thinking. One of the traits is empathy.Apart from what the researchers said, you can also reason this out. No matter what happens, animals don’t discriminate and will not reject you. This implies that even when all your friends reject you, your pet will be there for you. It is gonna be your buddy to the end. You can also see it this way, having a pet helps to keep depression at bay.
2. It reduces loneliness: The biggest challenge seniors face is loneliness. This is because their children will go to work while their grandchildren will go to school. So, they are often left alone. These older adults are better off with pets. At least, they will have something to keep them company. To back it up, a certain study showed that having a pet gives older adults 40 percent less chances of feeling lonely.
In addition, keeping pets helps to reduce stress especially in women. Another research confirmed that women usually encounter reduced level of cortisol shortly after petting a dog or other pets. In case you don’t know, cortisol is also known as stress hormones.
3. Having a cat may protect you from heart diseases: Cats were initially linked to reduced risk of heart disease before a study recently confirmed it. The study showed that people who have cats or had cats have reduced chances of suffering from a heart attack.
4. Pets keep you mentally sharp in your old days: While this may be difficult to explain, a study has confirmed it. Older adults who have pets retain mental sharpness and alertness longer. May be it is the sense of responsibility that keeps them mentally sharp for a pretty long time. It was confirmed that they tend to remember past details better than older adults without pets.
5. Pets keep you from a sedentary lifestyle: There is no way you will have a dog and not take it for a walk a few times in a week. While this is beneficial for your dog, it is even more beneficial for you because it keeps you healthy. It is needless to remind you of the dangers of leading a sedentary life.
6. Pets actually help to prevent pet allergies: There is evidence that children who grew around pets have about 50 percent less chances of developing pet allergies. So, when you keep pets now, you will be reducing your baby’s chances of developing pet allergies by 50 percent.
In conclusion, it is believed that there may be even more health benefits of keeping pets but the few ones outlined above are the ones that have been confirmed.