Pets are the Best Medicine

No doubt about it, pets are a wonderful addition to our lives. They accept and love us from who we, no matter what; plus, they are always thrilled to see us! Pets love us unconditionally and they make us feel comfortable, needed, and loved. Our pets are our best buddies and our relationships with them is good for our bodies, minds, and souls.

It’s not surprising to learn that interacting with our pets has concrete health benefits. That’s why so many care facilities have therapy animals. Pets can be especially helpful for those who are struggling with a range of issues, from children with serious illnesses to seniors with dementia. Pets deliver love and affection freely, wordlessly, and holistically. This leads to happy, healthy pet owners!

As we all know, 2020 has been a challenging year with Covid-19 circulating and limiting our ability to socialize freely. This has been hard for everyone, and it’s been especially difficult for seniors. Pets can be especially helpful during difficult, stressful, and lonely times like those we’ve experienced this year. Our relationships with our pets really can be the best medicine for the things in the life that ail us. Here’s how they help.

Improving physical health

Being a pet owner stands to make us more active. There is a certain joy that comes from playing with a cat or dog, whether that means goes for a walk, or playing with a ball or toy. Our pets bring out a childlike playfulness in us. The Animal Health Foundation (AHF) points out: “Older people are more likely to take regular walks with a dog than they are with a human, according to one study. Another found that 60% of dog owners who took their dogs for regular walks were considered to get regular moderate or vigorous exercise based on federal standards.”

Having a pet tends to lead to a healthy and active lifestyle. It gives us opportunities to meet other people and to forge connections with our fellow animal enthusiasts. People bond quickly over their animal friends.

Improving heart health

Interacting with our pets makes us happy and it reduces our stress load. AHF explains: “Cortisol is a hormone activated by stress, and studies have found that being around animals can decrease cortisol levels.” Lowing our stress levels is good for our blood pressure and good for our hearts. AHF notes, “Along with medications and lifestyle changes, a pet can help with hypertension. A study of stockbrokers found that having a cat or dog helped lower the spikes in blood pressure that happen when a person is stressed.”

Another amazing fact, that AHF notes: “Studies have found that people with cats were 40% less likely to have a fatal heart attack.” While the foundation notes that the case can’t be clearly made about whether it’s a cat’s calming presence or something about the temperament of those who choose to own cats in the first place, it’s still noteworthy!

Improving mental health

Being a pet owner is good for our mental health too. It calms us down, cheers us up and makes us less inclined to develop depression. Pet owners feel a genuine and sincere sense of closeness, belonging and connection with their furry friends, and that kind of relationship is vital to thriving. Pets have a special way of making us feel calm, trusted and at peace. They tend to bring out the best in us by just being their sweet, adorable selves.

Our little angels

A pet can be the perfect companion for a senior, especially now during the isolation of Covid-19. But not all seniors are prepared for the responsibility that comes with caring for an animal. If you’re contemplating getting a pet, you may consider first fostering an animal, and taking care of it until that animal can be placed with a family. It gives you the chance to try it out and see if being a pet parent may be a good fit for you.

Talk to your local humane society and see if you may be able to stop in for a visit; perhaps make a special trip with your Visiting Angels Caregiver. Even if fostering or adopting aren’t the right options for you, visiting the animals always feels right and can be a good a moral boost during these difficult times.