How having a pet can relieve stress

A study by Allen et al. (2002) found that having a pet was associated with lower levels of stress reactivity. Interacting with animals has been shown to decrease levels of cortisol, which is a stress-related hormone, and lower blood pressure — even if it is just by petting a dog for 15 minutes (Odendaal & Meintjes, 2003; National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2018). An increase in levels of the feel-good hormone oxytocin is found as well (Odendaal & Meintjes, 2003). This is why sometimes therapy dogs are brought into hospitals or nursing homes to help reduce patients’ stress and anxiety (National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2018).

Other than that, studies have found that pet ownership was associated with increased social interaction and support, as animals can reduce loneliness by providing a sense of companionship and emotional support (Brooks et al., 2018). Pets can also boost your mood (National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2018) as pet owners reported feeling more playful and spontaneous and experiencing more laughter and enjoyment in their daily lives (McConnell et al., 2011). Pet owners reported feeling more purposeful and less helpless than non-pet owners (Allen et al., 2002).

You may be wondering what type of pet is the best. Researchers say there is not one answer about how a pet can help somebody with a specific condition. Dr. Layla Esposito from the National Institutes of Health’s Human-Animal Interaction Research Program explains that people whose goal is to increase physical activity might benefit from owning a dog as they have to walk the dog a few times a day, and people whose goal is reducing stress can stay calm by watching a fish swim in its tank – so there is no one type that fits all (National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2018).

Pets also bring new responsibilities, but they can also be man’s best friend. It is obvious how humans help pets – by taking care of them, feeding them, and helping them clean, but at the same time, pets are bringing great joy to humans too.

References
Allen, K. M., et al. (2002). Cardiovascular reactivity and the presence of pets, friends, and spouses: The truth about cats and dogs. Psychosomatic Medicine, 64(5), 727-739.
Brooks, H. L., et al. (2018). The power of support from companion animals for people living with mental health problems: A systematic review and narrative synthesis of the evidence. BMC Psychiatry, 18(1), 31.
McConnell, A. R., et al. (2011). Friends with benefits: On the positive consequences of pet ownership. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 101(6), 1239-1252.
National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2018, February). The Power of Pets. News in Health. https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2018/02/power-pets#:~:text=Interacting%20with%20animals%20has%20been,support%2C%20and%20boost%20your%20mood.
Odendaal, J. S., & Meintjes, R. A. (2003). Neurophysiological correlates of affiliative behaviour between humans and dogs. Veterinary Journal, 165(3), 296-301.