If the person has inherited the responsibility of the companion animal from a deceased spouse, the animal may serve as a link to important memories, and the process of caring for it may also serve to ease the sense of loss. Judith M. Siegel also conducted pet ownership studies among people over 65 years of age. Her data suggested that events in the person's life might arouse a need for companionship, which in turn might result in contacts with a doctor. She found that, over a period of a year, those with pets reported less need for the services of a doctor than those without pets. She cites two other studies that have shown that greater emotional attachment to one's pet was associated with better mental health, and, when human companionship was inadequate, to better physical health.
Loneliness can be at the root of many illnesses.
It is easy to relate the consequences of loneliness to the population of adults aged 65 and older, because our culture supports the notion that longevity is likely to be accompanied by infirmity and social changes. We are not as well prepared to identify these same characteristics in younger people, including ourselves. Currently, our society does very little to encourage or support the integration of a pet into a person's lifestyle. The medical community also has done little to incorporate companion animals into the health care planning of their clients. This has led to great advancements in treatments and cures for specific ailments, but it has not contributed significantly to our collective comprehension that our lifestyle and environment can affect every aspect of our general health.