Cause and Effect: Living with Pets Improves Their Owner's Health

The decision to have a pet animal is traditionally far from being rushed; quite on the contrary, the potential owners of a house animal weigh all pros and cons carefully prior to having one. Moreover, a range of people have prejudice against pets, such as the fear of losing it due to its comparatively short life expectancy (Sharkin and Knox 414), not to mention the fact that many people are allergic to animal fur, feces, etc., and, therefore, are incapable of having a pet and taking care of it. However, with the advent of technology and the rise of online communities, pet enthusiasts can now connect and seek advice through online chat platforms specifically dedicated to pet ownership.

Drawbacks of Owning a Pet: Exploring the Health Effects and Social Considerations

Research on human-animal interactions

1. Interacting with animals has been shown to decrease levels of cortisol (a stress-related hormone) and lower blood pressure. Other studies have found that animals can reduce loneliness, increase feelings of social support, and boost your mood.

2. People with pets have lower blood pressure in stressful situations than those without pets. One study even found that when people with borderline hypertension adopted dogs from a shelter, their blood pressure declined significantly within five months. Heart attack patients with pets survive longer than those without.

3. "Pets provide us with a sense of belonging, connection, and contentment for which we all long," explains Dr. Beth Frates, director of lifestyle medicine and wellness in the Department of Surgery at Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital. The excitement dogs often display when you arrive home makes you feel special and loved.

Pet Ownership Is Linked to Lower Blood Pressure

1. While having a pet around doesn’t give you license to eat poorly or take health risks, the good news is that pet ownership is associated with improved heart health. One past study examined pet ownership and cardiovascular reactivity, a potential marker for heart disease risk, and found that people with pets had lower base heart rates and blood pressure.

2. Pet owners also experienced smaller increases in heart rate and blood pressure during periods of stress, and these increases were quicker to return to normal afterward, suggests the study, which analyzed dog and cat owners.

Pets can reduce work-related stress

Two out of three employees say work stresses them out and 40% say their job gets in the way of their health. Studies show that pets in the workplace help reduce stress and improve employee satisfaction.

1. Pets can help increase productivity, wherever you work. When a dog joins a virtual meeting, group members rank their teammates higher on trust, team cohesion and camaraderie.

2. Mental health problems and suicide are more frequent in autistic adults than general population. Dog ownership can improve human well-being. This study aimed to generate a framework of well-being outcomes for dog-related activities in autistic adults and compare it to the framework generated for a general adult population.

Main Benefits of Pet Therapy for an Autistic Child

1. Helping to reduce stress and anxiety.

2. Helping to improve social skills as children feel more relaxed around their pet.

3. Helping with language development and communication skills as the child speaks, plays and communicates with their pet.

4. Teaching kids about empathy and how to care for something.

5. Helping to reduce the frequency of or prevent autistic ‘meltdowns’.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the decision to have a pet animal is a carefully considered one, as many people have concerns about their ability to care for and maintain a pet's health. However, research has shown that interacting with animals can have a range of positive health effects, including reducing stress and blood pressure, increasing feelings of social support and improving mood. Additionally, pet therapy can have significant benefits for autistic children, including reducing stress and anxiety, improving social and communication skills, and teaching empathy and caring.