One of the largest of these studies reports that men who have AIDS but no pets are six times as likely to suffer from depression as men with AIDS who own pets. The study consisted of 1,800 gay and bisexual men and was led by the University of California at Los Angeles School of Public Health. In this sample, men with AIDS tend to be more depressed than men without the disease, but pet owners with AIDS are less likely to report depression than nonpet owners. Pet ownership is not necessarily a substitute for human support, but it's another way to experience and receive love. The type of pet did not seem to matter, and the positive benefits could not be accounted for simply by the added exercise of walking a dog, Siegel found.
Older people seem to reap especially strong benefits from pets.
What the Doctor Ordered Experts think that pets are so good for us, physically and emotionally, because their love, loyalty, consistency, and forgiving and nonjudgmental natures offer people great comfort. Touch is healing, and there is no taboo against touching an animal. But even watching fish in an aquarium can be therapeutic. Patients pet and play with Felix, who has lived in the hospital since 1994. They walk him through the halls on a leash, tease him with a fishing pole that dangles cat toys, and spoil him with treats.