6 Benefits Of Having A Pet
They love us unconditionally, they accompany us in our sorrows and in our joys. Having a pet brings us quality of life, as well as many benefits. Taking care of them requires great responsibility, but the result outweighs the effort; whether it’s a more conventional pet, like a dog or cat, or a more exotic animal, like an iguana, all involve improvements in the health of their owners.
When we are with our pet, we feel accompanied, even supported, and also happier. Pets in many cases give meaning to our lives. And if we already love them unconditionally, these benefits will bring us even closer to them.
They lengthen our life
Going out to walk your dog provides you with additional daily physical exercise ; changing the water to your colorful fish keeps your mind active. This physical or mental exercise helps to keep the body active. Our blood circulation is activated and the possibility of suffering from certain diseases decreases.
They help us overcome obstacles
They also help people with psychological problems, such as post-traumatic stress, channel their emotions and make sense of their lives. Even, they can help us to avoid certain diseases: the smell of dogs and cats, for example, is much more developed than that of the human being, and they can therefore be the first to detect certain chemical changes in our body. body.
Some dogs are even trained to detect symptoms of hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia in diabetic patients, in an effort to avoid more serious problems.
They avoid the feeling of loneliness and isolation
Our pets help us overcome feelings of loneliness because, in the first place, they keep us company. This is one of the many reasons that older people decide to have a pet, be it a dog, a cat or a bird.
However, in addition to accompanying us, pets, like dogs, help us to socialize more, since taking care of them involves taking them out regularly to walk them and allow them to do their business. People who have dogs end up bonding with other people who also have dogs, since they share the same green spaces or the same paths.
They make us happier
Taking good care of a pet and, therefore, seeing them healthy and happy stimulates in us the secretion of dopamine and serotonin, two hormones linked to happiness and well-being. Thus, it lowers our levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which makes us feel more peaceful.
Caressing our animals (if their anatomy allows it) is also a good remedy against sadness, since it brings us the same benefits.
They force us to be responsible
This is one of the best reasons to take a pet for our children: it requires them to take care of a living being, which depends to a great extent on us humans. So not only do children learn to relate to other species, but they also understand that they need to be concerned about their well-being. This teaches them to be more empathetic not only with other animals, but also with other people.
They strengthen our immune system
Having a pet, and especially since childhood, exposes us to allergens and rare infectious agents, thus sensitizing our immune system. It can also allow us to reduce the possibilities of developing different types of allergies if we expose ourselves to them in the first years of our life.
This proves to us that animals make us happier, that they help us on a daily basis and that they are excellent life companions. However, it is necessary to be aware that a pet is not a toy, or an accessory. They are living beings who need us and depend on us.
This is why it is alarming to see the number of animal abandonments in our society, as well as the number of animals that are marketed. If, in the society in which we live, we continue to abandon animals, but also to sell or buy them, we will endanger the lives of many of them. Adoption centers, moreover, are much more accessible, and this experience can give us the assurance that we are saving a life.
At the end of the day, many of these animals are emotionally sensitive beings who delight and suffer with us. If we love them unconditionally, they will do the same for us.
Our thoughts When your pet leaves you, they don’t go away for good. It will be present forever in your memories and in your heart.
