Pets Are Good For You.

It is not much of a surprise that people who acquired dogs reported the most increase in health, after all walking a dog exercises the owner as well as the dog, but owners of other pets reported that they felt healthier too even though they were not as active as the dog owners.

The results of many studies point to regular contact with pets helping to reduce or lower cholesterol levels and speed recovery after illness.

A study in the United Kingdom found that pet owners coped better than people that did not own a pet after bereavement. This was possibly because they could share their feelings with their pet whereas it may have been difficult to talk with other humans.

If you have a cat as a pet, here is some pretty amazing news. Dr. Horst Becket of the Berlin Longevity Institute claims that cats can add an average of 10.3 years to people who have had one since childhood!

The reason being, says says Dr. Becker, cats have an almost instantaneous calming effect, holding a cat lowers blood pressure and slows the heart rate.

Many senior citizens care homes have pets especially for the residents and carers report these pets as being beneficial to the seniors, helping to remind them of normal home life and feel more comfortable and at ease.

The seniors find that caring for the pet gives them a sense of purpose and to be therapeutic.

Children too benefit from growing up with pets in the home. Many kids believe that their pet helps them with their relationships with other family members, helps them gain confidence and and provides an avenue for making new friends. Research carried out by Warwick University concluded that children that share their home with pets take fewer sick days off school. It is believed that owning a pet helps a child to come to terms with the loss of a parent.

A study of kids age eleven to sixteen showed that those with pets in their homes developed a better understanding of non verbal communication.

Pets are good for you in many other ways too. Sharing your life and home with a pet can help prevent loneliness. Most humans consider their pet to be a companion, only a small minority think of their pet as their property.

Although they may be reluctant to admit it publicly many people talk to their pets. After all, pets do not criticizes or judge you, they are expert listeners in fact!

A pet may be good for you but will you be good for a pet?

Have you thought about the responsibilities of owning a pet? Pets are a long term commitment, pets are for life.

Think about the cost of owning a pet. Yes, many pets do not cost very much to acquire but please think about the ongoing costs. Not only feeding but also veterinarian's bills and pet medication. Pet health insurance could be the answer for you but remember that also has an ongoing cost to it.

Spend some time thinking about what sort of animal would be best for you. You may love large dogs but would a large dog be a suitable pet for you and your circumstances? Think about the particular behavior problems certain kinds of pets are likely to have, could you cope?

If after you have given a lot of thought to the kind of pet that would suit you best and you are sure that you can handle the responsibility and commitment, then you will find sharing your life with a pet will bring you many rewards - Yes, pets are good for you - make sure that you are good for your pet!

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Do you have something to say about your cat? Is there something about your feline friend that you must share with the rest of the world? It's all about your cat.