Pets Support Their Owners

People who own a pet are more likely to live a happier, better life thanks to the lovely creatures they take care of

Aside of the fact that pets usually help their owners with their health problems, increasing their chances of getting better to emotional aid, they also seem to do a great job when it comes to social and emotional support.

Researchers from two universities have analyzed some data regarding how pets can improve the life of their owners. “We observed evidence that pet owners fared better, both in terms of well-being outcomes and individual differences, than non-owners on several dimensions,” said lead researcher Allen R. McConnell, PhD, of Miami University in Ohio. McConnell went on saying that pet owners are more physically fit; they are less lonely and more extraverted than people who do not own a pet.

Furthermore, the relationship between owner and pet is compared to the relationship the owner has with other family members and that is to say that people who own a pet do not simply engage in activities involving the pet, but they also keep in very close touch with other people.

In the study took part about 200 individuals. They either have or did not have a pet. What the participants had to do was to answer some questions related to the quality of their life, personality, state of well-being and other such issues. The overall results of the study have shown very clearly that in comparison to people who do not own a pet, pet owners are happier, they leave a healthier life and they also are more physically fit.

A second study was made on 56 dog owners who had to answer some questions in order for the researchers to determine whether these owners benefited from their pets, from a social point of view. What the results showed was that people who had a pet had a greater self-esteem and it seems that their pets also increased their feelings of belonging.

A third study was based on the answers of 97 people who were asked some questions in order for the researchers to determine whether pet owners can feel better after interacting with their pets if a rejection occurs in their life or after they were excluded from a group or other such an traumatic experience. The results showed that pets helped their owners cope better with such situations and given that the participants in this third study were asked to write a story about their pets, it seems that the way in which they wrote it is similar to a way in which people write about their friends.

The studies altogether bring foreword the idea that pets do a great job when it comes to taking care of their owners and for people who own a pet, there can be only favorable consequences out of their interaction.11