Apart from having business colleagues, classmates and neighbors as friends, four-legged animals such as dogs and cats can also be very good friends to man. Just like good friends, pets contribute positively to human life. In fact, pets have several physical and mental health benefits. They are essential for both children and adults.
Pets make people smile a lot. This can help reduce tension and high blood pressure. Doctors who are aware of this health benefit strongly recommend pets in addition to drugs for ailments such as high blood pressure, stroke and arthritis. This may be the reason most homes have one or more pets. The physical health benefits of owning pets include: lower cholesterol level, normal blood pressure and normal triglyceride level. In addition, the pet owner will be more engaged in physical activities thereby increasing their chances of having stronger bones. In fact, dogs can even help to reduce cardiovascular stress. Patients that experience heart attack and stroke recover faster when they have pets around.
Pets also have some roles to play in developing one’s mental health. Since they are always around to boost one’s spirit, they help to decrease stress and depression. Older people that live alone often enjoy the company of pets until the holiday periods when their children come together again. Similarly, those who have lost dear ones feel better and healthier when they have one or more pets around. Owning pets can help people learn to be more caring. To get the mental benefits of having pets, it is encouraged to have quality time with them, just like people fix dates with their loved ones. Stroking the fur of the pet can make the owner feel very calm. While playing with the pet on a cushion or on the floor, you can tell it stories about your life, folk tales or about any thing that had happened earlier in the day. Naturally, sharing ideas and problems makes one feel better and doing this with a pet is even safer since there is no fear of telling any secret that will be conveyed to another person. In other words, the pet is also a very close companion that can be truly trusted. Again, pets help to fight depression by creating work for their owner. Many depressed people find it difficult to wake up in the morning to do some chores. However, with pets around, they are compelled to rise up early in the morning to provide food and attention. The owner also feels relieved when they takes their pet out for exercise. In some cases, they demonstrate the kind of exercise the dog should perform so they also exercise at the same time. Pets also seek the attention of their owners. This makes a pet owner feel important and capable of solving needs. Nevertheless, pets often display signs of love to their owners which make them feel happy.
Pets are also beneficial to the health of children. Fortunately, children and pets are very compatible so parents will not find it difficult to provide the essential benefits of pets to their children. Pets play roles in the social and emotional development of a child’s life. Furthermore, based on the hygiene hypothesis, children that have pets around them are always less prone to allergens and asthma attack. The hygiene hypothesis states that when children are exposed to allergens and bacteria very early in their lives (usually before they are one year old); they develop resistance to diseases and allergens as they grow up.
Kids with autism learn to communicate better with others when they have pets to nurture. Autism is a mental condition that can make it difficult for children to communicate and make friends. Also, ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) can be treated with pets. ADHD is a condition that makes children inattentive to details. To derive these benefits, parents should buy a pet and teach their child how to take care of it everyday.
Most households in the US enjoy the health benefits of having pets. Many scientists have taken several tests to justify these health claims. Hence, it is encouraged for people to get one or more pets for themselves and children without further delay.
RESOURCES FOR MORE INFORMATION
- Pets and Pets for Life: This page highlights the health benefits of pets.
- The Importance of Pets for Older Adults: Learn how pets help to reduce depression and lower cholesterol level.
- Human and Dog Interdependency: This is an educational article on the importance of dogs to human lives.
- Pets and Women: This article explains the benefits of pets for women.
- The Role of Pets in Old People’s Lives: This PDF file discusses the influence of pets on personal identity, their roles in facilitating healthy activities and other important information.
- Pets and Health Claims: A discussion about the health benefits of animals.
- Kids and Pets: This page discusses how to introduce a pet to a new baby, reasons for adopting a pet, and how to train pets to tolerate children.
- Care for Animals: This page has links that direct people to pages where one can learn how to take good care of pets.
- Benefits of Pet Ownership: Get adequate information on the importance of pet ownership through the links on this page.
- Pets and Children: Facts on this page include how to choose a pet, how pets affect children, and advantages of pet ownership.
- Pets Benefits: Discover some of the health benefits of pets on this page.
- Pets in the Society: This page highlights the benefits of pets for elderly people.
- Adopting Pets with a Past: This page addresses the importance of rescuing pets from shelters.
- Reasons for Pet Ownership: A PDF file that contains facts such as the need for companionship as a reason for pet ownership.
- Pets can Improve Your Health: The following health benefits are discussed on this page: pets as mood enhancers, their role in reducing cholesterol, blood pressure check, and more.
- Spring for a Dog: This PDF contains four reasons why it is good to adopt a dog.
- Pets and Your Health: This contains facts about the roles pets play in our health.
- How Pets Can Improve Human Health: A PDF file that discusses important reasons to get a pet, such as the need for mood enhancers, blood pressure check, and more.
- Child Care and Pets (PDF): Discover why children love pets, how to select pets for children, and what to teach children about pets.
- Allergies: A researched article on the role of pets in preventing allergies among children.
- Pets in the Home and Allergy in Infants: Learn more about how pets help to reduce allergies and asthma when they are introduced to infants.
- Dogs and Autistic Children: This article explains how dogs help autistic children to connect.
- Therapy with Children: This article discusses the role of dogs in treating ADHD.
- Animals in Adolescent Mental Health: A PDF file that explains the role of animals in improving the mental health of adolescents.
- Pets Provide Purpose: The importance of pets providing motivation and helping with visual deficit recovery are discussed in this article.
OptionsANIMAL gives permission for links to this post. For other requests email info at optionsanimal.com
Options Trading Resources
education option trading * options trading classes * trading tools * option trading education * options trading adjustments * beginner stock market investing * practice options trading
