You'll be happy to learn that it's as good for us as it is for them. Some causes are obvious and others surprising. Before we explore this, I suggest you go pet your cat. Early, much quoted scientific studies took note of the relationship between certain human activities, blood pressure and brain wave measurements. Basically, it was found that the simple act of petting a cat actually lowered a human's blood pressure.
Dogs are also effective.
It's the petting, not the pet. Health Benefits With the beneficial effects of human-animal physical contact shown, researchers looked at this subject from a bigger perspective. As we now know, the answer is yes. Especially in treating the psychologically depressed, animals seem to have an extraordinary ability to improve patient behavior and outlook. Animal assisted therapy programs use the beneficial effect of the animal-human bond to enrich lives.