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Feeling Stressed? Get a Pet!

You don’t call your dog “man’s best friend” for no reason. In fact, there is a very good reason for calling a dog that, and the same could be said for a cat or any other household pet.

Studies show that a pet can meet your social and companionship needs, sometimes even better than another person can, while providing stress relief and other health benefits.

What are some of the health benefits of having a pet?

• Pets can help control blood pressure better than drugs – Research studies show that having a pet is more effective in reducing spikes in blood pressure that drugs.

• Pets reduce stress – Having a pet gives you someone to talk to, a non-judgmental listener who helps you get worries “off your chest” and out in the open. Pets also give owners a sense of self-worth because they need to be cared for, fed, petted and pampered.

• Pets encourage exercise – Having a dog, for example, gets you out walking and talking with neighbors and passers-by, providing you with some social interaction as well!

• Pets provide unconditional love in a way that many humans can’t – They also help with the loneliness that occurs when you lose a spouse or suffer from “empty nest syndrome” after your children have grown.

• Pets can reduce the risk of allergies in children – Early childhood exposure to pets and pet dander can help build immunity that prevents allergies to animals.

• Pets can keep you physically healthy – Pet owners generally are healthier and require fewer trips to the doctor than non-pet owners require.

• Pets help to keep cholesterol levels down – Pet owners tend to have lower cholesterol levels than non-pet owners do.

So there it is – pets keep you heart healthy, socially more active, and less stressed out during the tough times, but only if you actually like pets and you have the time and energy to meet the responsibilities of pet ownership. Otherwise, they are just another stressor in your life.