The benefits of having a pet
It is a common knowledge that pets give us benefits that are not always available from our human companions and most important, their love and acceptance. They are always by our side, they are good listeners, they don’t judge us and they keep on loving us even though we often make mistakes. These simple facts can reduce our stress. How many people do you know that can be supportive in difficult times?
Have you ever thought about your pet’s sense of humor, or its ability to be comforting and compassionate? They can improve your life in many aspects, make your health better and give you optimism about the future.
Many people think that animals don’t understand human language and that it’s pointless to talk to them. Many studies have shown that in fact animals are very good at understanding many of our words but more important they are excellent in detecting any change of our mood based on our body language, tone of voice, etc. Start yelling in a room and your pet is going to leave. Start crying and your dog will come by your side and ask for a cuddle.
Science studies have proved that pets are also improving people’s health in many ways. Their presence in the house can lower cholesterol levels, lower blood pressure and reduce stress. Having a pet seems to help people recover more quickly from illnesses. People who suffered from a heart attack have extremely high odds of survival if they own a pet.
There are some changes that you have to make if you own a pet and in many cases these may be good for your health. For example owning a dog means that you must walk it every day, do some exercise, toss some balls, etc. You may also make new acquaintances in the park that you go with your dog and increase your social life. Having a pet means that you get yourself in a daily routine. They give you many opportunities to calm down when you take care of them, get more sleep and lower blood pressure and heart rate.
For all these reasons and because of the happiness they bring to us, pets are considered to be professionals at reducing depression and loneliness. Several studies have showed that nursing home patients use fewer medicines and have fewer complaints when there’s a pet at the patient’s home. Also pet owners tend to visit the doctor less often and have fewer medical problems that those who don’t have pets.
Dogs also have a special ability at sensing changes in illnesses. Science has shown that dogs are able to detect cancer in people. Also they are good companions for people who suffer from dangerous diseases, like epilepsy, Parkinson’s and diabetes. Dogs are often trained to sense the aura that appears before an epileptic seizure and to guide their owner to a safe place.
People who suffer from Parkinson often feel their feet freeze while the rest of their body functions well and this causes them to fall. Dogs are trained to detect this freeze and when this happens they stop the freeze by simply touching the frozen feet. This can not be explained by science but even so, it works. Dogs can also detect low blood sugar in patients who suffer from diabetes alerting them in time when it happens.
All pet owners are aware that their pets bring them happiness, they have a loyal friend, a companion for walks and someone to hug in the end of the day. The truth is that the benefits of having a pet go beyond that as we’ve already shown and they are really too many to count.