If you want to be active in your older years and feel better, get a pet. That was the finding in a recent Canadian study. Researchers there found that older adults who had pets were more active and more able to carry out daily tasks than people who didn't have pets. Pet owners also seemed more emotionally healthy, even in crisis situations.
Doctors believe that's because the activity required to care for a pet forces seniors to keep busy.
Caring for a pet also gives people a purpose in life and helps keep them from becoming apathetic. The companionship of a pet helps keep loneliness at bay. In the study, doctors found that older patients with pets remained emotionally healthy even if they didn't have a human support group, like family, nearby. Doctors at UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas say a pet might be a good gift for an elderly relative or friend, but check first before buying the pet. Take into consideration living conditions before getting a pet, and get a pet that best fits into the senior's lifestyle.