Pets add a unique dimension to your social life, explains Allen. How Fido Can Keep You Fit Pets can also positively affect your physical health, and not only because walking a dog is a great form of cardiovascular exercise. For women living alone who have little contact with the outside world, a pet provides the same beneficial effects on cardiovascular health as social interactions. A 1992 Australian study by the Baker Medical Research Institute in Melbourne, Australia, involving nearly 6,000 people found that pet owners not only had lower blood pressure than people who did not own pets, but they also had lower levels of cholesterol and other unhealthy blood fats. Men with AIDS who own a dog or cat are less likely to be depressed than male AIDS patients who don't have a pet, says Judith Siegel, Ph.D., a professor at the UCLA School of Public Health in Los Angeles, CA, who has studied the benefits of pet ownership.
Pets can make psychotherapy progress faster.
Despite all the evidence that pets can be better than Prozac, not everyone should run out to the animal shelter or pet store. If you suffer from allergies, you ll want to give some serious thought to the type of pet you choose. Clean, clean, clean. Vacuum carpets, clean walls, and wash the animal often. If your house has central air-conditioning, invest in an air filter or cleaner, which will remove significant amounts of allergens.