Cats have been loved and kept as pets for thousands of years. In Egypt, they were even seen as Gods by the people. They spent their days living in the best places next to the most powerful people. There are many breeds to pick from and many color options as well. It seems as though there should be a cat that fits everyone's lifestyle. Of course, there are the unfortunate few who are allergic to cats and have to suffer a life without endless cuddling and purring.
Dogs also have been sculpted into man's best friend over thousands of years of selective breeding. There are even dogs now that can live in a home alongside a person with allergies. Service dogs have been used for many years by people to help them combat things such as blindness and paralysis of limbs. Besides being trained with specific skills, there are new ways in which animals can help maintain human health.
New research in the fields of animal behaviors, as well as the mental health of people, has shown that people can directly be helped by the contact of animals. I myself have cats and feel that they help me greatly with my anxiety and depression. Emotional Support Aminals are a new way to help combat mental health issues as well as improve your overall health. An Emotional Support Animal is, "a companion animal which provides therapeutic benefit, such as alleviating or mitigating some symptoms of the disability, to an individual with a mental or psychiatric disability. Emotional support animals are typically dogs and cats, but may include other animals" (ASPCA). Here are a top few ways in which a support pet can help mental health issues in people.
1. Managing your stress levels
Studies have shown that petting an animal can lower your blood pressure! According to WebMD, this helps your body release a relaxation hormone that reduces stress levels. Petting is a common way to develop a bond between you and your animal, now it's also good for both of your healths.
2. Maintaining a healthy heart
Owning a dog and walking your furry friend can help reduce your risk of heart disease! We all know walking is good for you, but dog owners have to walk at least once a day to help maintain a healthy pet. Walking is good for both of you in more then one way. "Dog owners with abnormal heart rhythms or heart attack survivor's live longer than people with the same conditions without dogs," says WebMD.
3. They give your life more meaning
Sure, animals need us to care for them and love them, but they do more for us than we ever knew before. Pets give us a sense of meaning and a reason to get out of bed everyday, willing or forced by a wet nose kiss! "People with pets are generally happier, more trusting and less lonely than those who don't have pets" (WebMD). Unlike children, when animals grow older they depend on us even more. Most domesticated animals can't make it on their own. Them living in our home allows us to find greater meaning in our lives.
4. Socialilization
Animals can help us perfect our social skills by allowing us to practice them in the place that we feel safest — our own home. A big part of having a healthy pet is playing and building a bond with that animal. These skills have been proven to be very helpful in children with Autism. "Animals change the classroom environment and help to integrate those who are a little less typical," Beck says. "Once the children get involved with animals, they view each other more positively and work together better" (WebMD). Animals allow us to feel more comfortable and at ease in many life situations making connections between other humans more easily made.
5. Reducing Depression
Studies have been shown that animals can help reduce the effects of depression in people! Pet owners have a lower rate of depression as well as less depression symptoms in people that have the illness along with a pet in the home. "The calming presence and the social bond that pets bring can be very powerful," says Dr. Christenson. "Animals give something to focus on instead of the negative thoughts a depressed person is prone to have. When a pet pays attention to you, they're giving you unconditional love and acceptance" (Health.com). Pets allow you to relax and allow you to see that no matter what has occurred during your day without them, they will love you no matter what.
6. Playing helps you relax
Playing with your furry friend helps you remove stress as well as fixes your mind on other things besides your stressful day. Playing with a kitten or puppy allows you to make a bond with your pet while helping both of your healths. You will both be more relaxed after a game of fetch or a nice time playing with a feather wand.
7. Natural pain relief
"Petting your animal releases endorphin's — the same hormones that give a runner's high — and they are powerful pain relievers," says Johnson. "That's been demonstrated in hospitalized patients who had a visit from an animal and reported less pain simply from one visit" (Health.com). It has been noted for a long time that pets brought into hospitals can help ease the pain of many kinds of patients. Cancer patients often get visits from animals trained for the situation during cemo treatments.
8. Some animals can help sense health changes
Some dogs undergo special training that helps them sense changes in a healthy person's body. Diabetics can often have trained dogs that help alert them when their sugar is too high or too low. "When diabetics get low blood sugar they get ketoacidosis (when they can't use sugar as a fuel source), which changes the smell of their breath, and trained dogs can pick up on that scent change," explains Christopher Buckley, director of veterinary medicine at the Human Society of West Michigan in Kalamazoo (Health.com).
These are just a few of the important ways in which animals work to serve us in greater ways each day. Not only can they be beloved family members, but they can also be used to help keep us healthy. Your health is very important not only to yourself but to your pet as well. If you aren't healthy who is supposed to fill the food dish and take them for long walks? Remember, your health keeps your pet healthy and allows you both to live a better life.
Mental, as well as physical, health are important. If you think that you could benefit from the help of an animal contact, your medical professional and set up an appointment to discuss the benefits. An animal is not appropriate for every case or person.
