Puppy Power!

We all have an essential need to love and be loved and keeping a pet is one way to meet these emotional needs. Sadly for some, this is sometimes also the only way, as is so often the case with elderly people.

Most of us are aware that having a pet is beneficial to our emotional well-being and that if we enjoy a good relationship with our pets, this will also reflect in our physical health too. There is a growing body of scientific evidence to support this with various studies repeatedly showing that owning a pet can have very real physical benefits for their owners. These include:

Lower blood pressure. The mere act of stroking a cat can reduce blood pressure, however a study at the State University of New York, Buffalo, established that the beneficial effects continue even when the pet is not present. The study monitored a group of stockbrokers with hypertension and concluded that simply owning a pet can help lower blood pressure - and keep it low, even in stressful situations.

Lower blood cholesterol levels. A study of more than 5,400 people conducted by Australia's Baker Medical Research Institute found that pet owners had not only lower blood pressure, but also lower levels of blood cholesterol and triglycerides in comparison to the non-pet owners, thus reducing the risk of heart disease.

Higher survival rate after serious illness. Two studies have found that heart attack patients who owned pets were more likely to be alive a year after being discharged from hospital than those who didn't. In addition, a study conducted at the New York City Hospital found that the presence of a pet influenced survival rates even more than having a spouse or friends.

Fewer doctors' visits. Studies conducted by Cambridge University in England and at the University of California, Los Angeles have found that pet ownership corresponds to overall improved health and fewer medical care visits. An Australian study of 6,000 households found that dog and cat owners required less medication for blood pressure, cholesterol, sleeping difficulties or heart problems.

Research has also documented the psychological benefits of pet ownership:

Reduced loneliness. A pet provides not only companionship, but also affords its owner with a ready topic for conservation with other people, thus increasing social interactions.

Pet ownership fights depression. Scientists in South Africa recently conducted research that shows a pet can serve as an anti-depressant, increasing the release of endorphins and other hormones tied to pleasure.

Stress-busting.  Pets are great stress-busters. The American SPCA (Society for the Protection of Cruelty to Animals) is currently studying the value of the human-animal bond during times of tragedy by investigating how family pets impacted people's lives during and after the events of September 11, 2001.

Pet ownership aids childhood development. Studies have linked family ownership of a pet with high self-esteem in young children and greater cognitive development. In addition, children with pets at home score significantly higher on empathy and pro-social scales than non-pet owners.

Pet owners enhance family life. Psychological studies have found that most pet owners view their pets as enhancing the quality of family life by minimising tension between family members and by enhancing their owners' compassion for living things.