Pets make us more social. Pets have personalities and provide companionship to our highly social human species. They force us to socialize when they greet us in the doorway, engage us in play, or look for praise. And pets also make us more social by giving us opportunities to socialize with other pet owners and meet new people.

Pets improve our health. Pets may actually improve our physical health, although it is not entirely clear why. One hypothesis is that people who have pets that need to be walked end up exercising more. There is also some medical evidence that people with pets have lower blood pressure and cholesterol and see the doctor less often than their non-pet owning counterparts.

Pets soothe us. An interesting experimental study showed that women given a stressful mental exercise were soothed more by a pet than the presence of a friend. Why? Even our friends make judgments about us. Pets provide stress relief through physical contact and unconditional positive regard. In addition, pets can also provide relief from feelings of loneliness.

Pets promote empathy and bonding. Children with strong bonds to pets score higher on empathy scales than children without pets. Pets also cultivate a nurturing spirit from the adults who take care of them. We learn to empathize with our pets’ feelings, signs of hunger, et cetera, because they are not able to speak for themselves. A previous PT Blogger cited a 2003 study in the Veterinary Journal that showed how the act of touching or petting an animal releases the mammalian hormone Oxytocin. This hormone increases feelings of bonding, sparking a similar connection as with a child, family member, or close friend.

For those of you who do not currently have pets, consider the benefits of their companionship through ownership, pet-sitting, or playing with other people’s pets.

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