Pets, or more known as animal buddies, are being taken care of by so many people for a number of reasons. Whether it may be a fish, a dog, a cat, or even a hairy tarantula, individuals are taking care of their preferred pets as it helps them face life’s challenges, cope up with stress, eliminate depression, and even control their eating habits or daily activities. But these are merely assumptions as many people see pet owners happy, lighthearted, and also cheerful in so many ways. But what do experts really say? Find out by reading the top 10 health benefits of owning a pet and see that you own one right away!

10. Assists the Aged

It is not necessary that a pet would have skills of aiding old people out on the streets. But when a pet dog or cat is in the home together with an old person, there are so many things achieved and made, guaranteeing that grandmas and grandpas are doing alright. Because pets move around and do many things, it helps the elderly stand and move around, which helps them get the kind of exercise they need for a stronger body. It also avoids Alzheimer’s disease from excessively bursting, as pets make sure that they get attention.

9. Helps Children Develop Better Attitudes

Parents get pets for their children as it teaches a lot of things to them. For one, it helps the kids learn of how important it is to be responsible by feeding the dog or cat, watching over their mess, or making sure that everything needed is being given to address their needs. It also helps them to become patient, loving, appreciative, playful, sociable, forgiving, considerate, and more. Pets also take care of those kids that have autism and ADHD.

8. Decreases Stress Levels

Back in 2002, researchers at the State University of New York found out that people are less likely to develop more stress when they are doing difficult tasks with their pets along with them. It can be a bit ironic that spouses, human friends, or associates, even when they are nearby or offering help, does not lessen much of the pressure they feel. This is because more stress is induced upon people when they feel that someone else will take the burden off their shoulders, which pets do not really insinuate or enforce. Instead, they watch, wait for your command, or they respond on your climactic body movements.

7. Improves Social Skills

Even though pets do not say the words they need to say, you can feel that they wanted to be with you, looking for your attention and love, especially when they have felt your care and concern. You become more sensitive with whatever you see, even the smallest of details or the slightest of movements. Because of what you learn from your pets, you become more adaptive to whatever is demanded of a person you meet and mingle with. It is easier to respond to company as pets have done such when you arrive at home or when you wake up in the morning.

6. Lessens Anxiety

Because pets naturally make people happy with simple gestures of staying close to their owners or doing other activities that show their connection with their masters, they help individuals calm down and focus their attention on the pet, instead of their condition or illness. They lessen anxiety, just like how other medicines work, such as Valium. It also works when dealing with chronic pain like migraines, headaches, or arthritis. Owners are more concerned of how their pets would react, which helps them unconsciously battle out their pain and misery.

5. Lowers Blood Cholesterol

Although this specific benefit is focused on more active pets such as dogs or other animals that love running outdoors, having pets help lower blood cholesterol in a sense that their presence would make a person more active through moving motions and sudden movements. Imagine how taxing it is for you to walk the dog on mornings, clean their mess after eating hungrily, or watching after their poop on the floor. Even the mere process of taking care of them already helps you to keep your motions and constantly move, just to meet the satisfaction of making them happy and well.

4. Prevents Allergies

When talking about babies and pets being together in one place, parents become concerned of their tikes as they might incur allergies or asthma because of the fur that may find its way into their children’s nostrils. While this makes more sense why it takes one to separate the kids from their furry friends, research and scientific studies state otherwise. What happens is that since children are still in their developing stage where everything that surrounds them becomes instruments for physical adaptation, having fur near them helps improve their immunity from allergies. However, this may not be the case with adults as their allergic makeup is already locked due to age and maturity.

3. Lowers High Blood Pressure

Even when pets are only doing much in the home, they help everyone lower their blood pressure, especially those who are suffering from hypertension. As dogs wag their tails and as cats wrap themselves around their owner’s legs, the master feels at ease, secure, and happy that gestures of kindness, joy, and happiness helps them become happy too. Happiness is perceived as being contagious, even if it comes from pets. Owners are more open to communication, they are more patient, and are more optimistic with how their lives go, as such attitudes are developed when taking care of animals.

2. Supports in Losing Weight

There is one thing that humans cannot do when it comes to fitness: they never say never! At the moment dogs are walked on the streets or in the park, they just keep on walking at a pace that is usually faster than that of the owner. Humans know when they would slow down or stop, but for pets, you have to really stop if you need to take a rest. Besides, dogs will never accept excuses or reasons to avoid the walk.

1. Helps in Fighting Serious Illness

Aside from prescribing drugs and certain medicines to level down signs and symptoms of serious illnesses, doctors and other specialists may even ask if their patients have pet dogs or cats. This is because pets can serve as great motivators when fighting against certain diseases that need inspiration and willpower, in order to be cured. Although cancer and other diseases are remedied by medicines and treatments, pets are unconsciously providing reasons for their masters to take care of themselves.