Why do you need pet animals?

Why do you have a pet animal? This is probably one common question that is put to me quite often. I am sure I am not alone here. Many people having pets face this question at some point in their lives! Well, on most occasions my simple answer would be, "I love it, that's why!" But more often than not the questioner would repeat the question and during these times I will have to resort to giving more appealing answers. I will say I have pets for two reasons: one, for recreational purposes and two, for psychotherapeutic reasons. This would open up more arguments and would obviously require proofs to support the second reason more than the first one. And I am writing this exactly for this purpose.

I am sure you would agree that pet animals make great friends. It is a friendship that lasts for a life time. Invariably, pet animals give us so much joy, fun and above all physical and mental peace and happiness that we tend to overlook their priceless contribution in our lives. The last part of the above sentence is perhaps debatable. But like everything other belief and concept, there are proven cases to support that animals and pet animals in particular help in fighting diseases.

Let’s start with something very common: Stress. Almost every one of us continues to experience stress at some point in our lives. Some seek the expert guidance of medical practitioners to fight stress and are made to undergo various tests and examinations before a course of anti-stress drugs are prescribed. Some prefer to do yoga some just go out to enjoy nature to beat stress!

All these might be effective but animal behaviorists and veterinarians opine that having a pet at your home can be one of the easiest and best ways to de-stress after a long day’s work. Stress is something that is responsible for production of harmful chemicals in your body like cortisol and norepinephrine that could affect your immune system, and clog up arteries leading to heart attacks says a research at the Research at the University Of Texas School Of Public Health. And playing with a pet dog for example can help your body increase the levels of serotonin and dopamine the nerve transmitters and calm you down. Research also shows that even patients, preferably males with a history of heart attacks can live for longer when they have a pet with them as pets help in lowering the cholesterol and triglyceride levels in these patients.

You can literally feel the love of your pets when you come back home. And 25 years of research endorses this. The research results have shown that pets help in relieving stress, lower blood pressure and steady your heart beat. And contrary to the popular misconception that having pets with fur could cause allergies these pets can actually help build your immunity. Yes! There are numerous studies that conclude that kids growing up in homes with pet animals like dogs and cats develop stronger immunity and are less prone to allergies and respiratory disorders like asthma, eczema and even help treat Alzheimer’s disease.

A study by a school of veterinary medicine at the University of California has revealed that the presence of a dog at the of home of a patient having Alzheimer’s disease could actually lessen the frequent instances of anxious outbursts that is generally associated with the disease. You might have heard about therapy dogs that actually help people with certain health conditions overcome them with their unconditioned love. Cats, on the other hand are equally effective as they require less care than dogs. In fact, there is an insurance company in the U.S that prefers providing insurance cover for old people over the age of 75 who have pet animals with them. The logic here is having a pet at home provides more opportunity for the old people for physical exercises and maintaining healthy mind.

Similarly, studies have shown that pet animals assist people afflicted with the killer disease AIDS in gaining marked improvement in their emotional levels and fight depression. The unconditional love of a cat or a dog or any other pet animal for that matter does a world of good for people. And studies on the impact of pet animals among people involved in jobs and businesses with high degree of stress levels like stockbrokers and event managers for example have shown manageable levels of blood pressure.

All pet animals are great but experts single out dogs, cats, horses, rabbits, fish, parrots and birds, and dolphins (not in this part of the world, though) to be man’s best friends. I certainly agree with the list but I know of some not-so-usual pet animals sharing very good friendship with people. During my college days I remember one of my friends bring his pet squirrel to college! I always admired her for her intelligence and her love for my friend and her friendliness towards strangers! We used to take turns to hold her and place her on our shoulders. She was playful and used to nibble our ears. She jumped all over the desks, delicately took nuts from our hands, roamed over the trees in the college campus and obediently returned to my friend’s hands whenever he called out to her. It was such a pleasant sight to see them sharing a special bond. There was so much of unconditional love in the air when you visit places like that!

George Elliot once wrote: “Animals are such agreeable friends. They ask no questions and they pass no criticism.” How true! Having a pet dog or a cat or any other pet animal for that matter is a sure shot recipe for unlimited fun, joy, unconditional love and not to forget the health benefits. You might disagree with me but I would only suggest this: Help animals. Help yourself.