Do Pets Make A Person Live Longer?

Pets are commonly found in households nowadays. Many people cannot resist having a pet around to comfort and love them. I mean, lets face it, some are pretty darn cute. I have always found it interesting that pets seem to make a person more relaxed and happy after a long day. One question I have always asked myself was whether or not pets are beneficial to a person’s health.

An amazing fact would be that almost two-thirds of households (or 71 million) have pets in the United States. The benefits they possess seem endless. It is said they can lower blood pressure, reduce stress levels, and lower a person’s chances of having depression. 420 patients were part of a study in which compared patients with and without dogs. Those who had them had a much more likely chance of living another year.

Back in the year 1991, researchers from the University of Cambridge discovered that after a few months of owning a pet, people experienced less health problems such as back pain and headaches. Another study was completed in which included 92 convalescing patients. 14 passed away a year after the study began. The vast majority of those who had died were very socially inactive and did not own any pets. A researcher by the name of Friedman was able to conclude that 30,000 Americans a year could be saved from a death caused by a heart attack if they had a pet.   In addition, another interesting study was done in which 5,741 attendees of a heart disease risk clinic were asked whether or not they had a pet. Those who had a pet had 2% lower cholesterol levels, downgrading their chances of having a heart attack by 4%.

It seems friendly pets are able to relax those around them. They provide companionship and listen to what a person has to say. They also are able to keep a person active if they choose to play or walk with them. Companionship, especially when older, seems to have a real correlation with fighting old age and the obstacles that come with it. It has been shown that men who are divorced that are 50 years of age or older have a death rate that is over twice that of married men as a result of loneliness. Pets can provide this lack of spousal comfort. Interestingly enough, the mortality rate for people with pets was one third of those with pets. Hospitals have been more open to letting pets visit liberally as a result of the positive effects they have on cheering up patients. Pets are around to listen, to be sleeping buddies, and to be a companion for the long haul. This bond has shown that dogs can save lives or lengthen them in the long run.

 

doggy

Ginger domestic kitten (Felis catus) rolling on back playing

Ginger domestic kitten (Felis catus) rolling on back playing

7 thoughts on “Do Pets Make A Person Live Longer?

  1. Shannon Elizabeth Kress

    Love this blog! I have 2 dogs and a cat, and I have always said that my one dog in particular knows when I, or anyone in my family, is feeling down or sick. She always lays right by your side, but doesn’t bother like she normally would if you were feeling better. When I got mono my junior year, my dog was constantly with me, and I really think it helped. It made me not feel so lonely when I would stay at home and rest while everyone else was at work or school, so I can completely see how the study you wrote about could be true! Pets can make for great companions.

  2. Colleen Byrne

    I LOVE dogs but have never had one, because I was never once in 18 years successful at convincing my father that I needed a dog. However, reading your post and learning that there’s scientific evidence to back up the fact that dogs can elongate your life, as well as just make you happier as you get older, gives me hope that maybe if I show him that having a dog will make him live a longer and happier life, he’ll consider it. But probably not.

  3. Eric Choi

    Reading this post makes me want a dog so much now. I have been begging my parents to get a dog for a while now. They probably still wouldn’t change their mind even if I showed them this post. They say it is too much taking care of a dog. Well all these healthy benefits that comes along with owning a pet more than makes up for that. I am surprised with the random correlations listed, such as owning a pet and back pain. I hope public places loosen up on their restrictions against dogs. Obviously a library wouldn’t be an ideal place for a dog, but it would be nice if you could take your dog with you on flights and school campuses. I want one so bad now.

  4. David Tyler Bond

    This is a very interesting topic. Its mind blowing that pets can make a person healthier. I was confused about how exactly pets make people live longer. You say that having a pet can lower a human’s blood pressure, reduce stress, and can save them from having a heart attack, but you never mentioned how this is possible. Is it just being in the presence of a pet or is it something that the pet does that improves the human’s health? Here is Harvard’s take on how a dog could be beneficial to a human’s health.

  5. Bailee Nicole Koncar

    Hi Stephanie,
    I am a huge dog lover, and I always have been. I’ve grown up with them my entire life so it is quite inevitable. I cannot imagine my life without one because as you said they provide us with so much. I can easily understand how dogs could benefit a person’s life. Although not all people enjoy them, those that do become very happy at the sight of one. Dogs provide a sense of companionship. If a person is alone, he or she can rely on them to talk to or play around with. This can prevent a person from becoming depressed. It is amazing the relationships they form with humans. Whether it is the animal or the owner, both endure a period of grief after losing the other because they become such a critical part of each others’ lives. They can help a person get in their needed exercise to stay healthy. They are even used as guide dogs for the blind or search dogs for the police. It is remarkable all that they are capable of doing. They must be a lot more intelligent than we believe them to be.

  6. Madeline Bynres Walsack

    This is such a different and interesting blog topic. I’ve never thought about pets helping us to live longer but it makes a lot of sense. It is always nice to know that someone is waiting for you at home, even if it is a cat or a dog. I think that people who are older have more to hold on for if they live at home with a pet. And pets need us to survive, so the owner will always feel needed. Plus, who doesn’t love to just play with or pet a dog? You can tell that people become drastically happier when there are dogs on campus, even if they only get to see it or give it a small pat.

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