BENEFITS OF LIVING WITH COMPANION ANIMALS
Unconditional Love
People who have companion animals know intuitively that their pets give them profound happiness, laughter, and a sense of well-being. Even shy people will talk effusively and energetically about the added enjoyment and purpose they derive from their furry or feathered friend; how they look forward to coming home to them, to get up in the morning to care for them, to exercise with a dog, to stroke and know the purring contentment of a cat, to admire the beauty, mischief, and communication of a bird.
Physical and Psychological Research
It was not until the 1970's that scientific research was undertaken to actually measure what happens physically and psychologically when people interact with a pet: blood pressure is lowered, heart rate slowed, breathing more regular, muscle tension relaxed, the stress hormone cortisol, goes down, while feel-good chemicals, Oxycontin, Serotonin, and Dopamine are elevated. Coronary patients with a pet recovered faster and lived longer than those without. Pet owners actually made 21% fewer visits to the doctor.
Emotional and Social Benefits
Even more significant for aging seniors are the psychological, emotional, and social benefits living with a bonded companion animal who listens without judgement and gives unbiased, enduring affection: less loneliness, depression, anxiety, withdrawal and isolation. A pet is someone to nurture and care for, to feel useful and responsible, needed and validated, wanted and "OK" no matter what changes are sowing doubts in one's abilities and self-esteem. Animals are a loyal and enduring comfort system; they intuitively ease the loss of a loved one, provide stability, and keep us in touch with reality when our own world seems to be breaking apart.
Interaction with People and Community Involvement
Pets are social facilitators, conversation starters, friendship enablers. They give reasons for social calls and helpfulness, both giving and accepting. Seniors with pets become more active, take better care of themselves, and orient their days around the routines of caring responsibility.
Companion animals evoke frequent smiles; their antics bring laughter, and often the urge to share with others in a phone call, or story to a neighbor, or exclamation to someone on a park bench. Such reactions and interactions make people better, happier, and even healthier for another day.
