The Health Benefits of Having A Pet

Dogs aren’t our whole lives, but they indeed make our lives whole. But dogs are not the only four-legged friends that give us peace. Cats do as well.

The company of any pet is beneficial to one’s health, be it emotionally, mentally or physically. So never mind the apple a day as pets can help decrease your blood pressure, cholesterol levels and triglyceride levels.

According to James E. Gern, MD, a pediatrician from University of Wisconsin-Madison, having a pet in the home can lower a child’s likelihood of developing related allergies and asthma. In fact, the exposure of animals early on shows a much stronger immune system overall.

Children are not the only benefiters of pets, health-wise. According to Lynette Hart, PhD, associate professor at the University of California at Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, Alzheimer’s patients have been shown to have less anxiety with an animal in the home.

“Their caregivers also feel less burdened when there is a pet, particularly if it is a cat, which generally requires less care than a dog,” said Hart.

Children and seniors, and everyone in between, can certainly find the company of a four-legged friend a little less lonely.

The financial cost? Just an adoption fee.

Skip the therapist’s couch and share one in the comfort of your own home with a rescue that can increase so many levels of your health. Snuggle with cat that can’t stop purring after he had been looking for a home for three years, or play tug with the abandoned dog that has been looking for someone to love and trust.

While your immune system is building tolerance in allergies, your blood pressure is steady or your loneliness seems as if it is fleeting, don’t forget that you’re helping shelters make room so they don’t have to kill. That you’re helping a lonely animal get his spirit back.

SHARING IS CARING

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