A study out of UCLA followed 1,000 Medicare enrollees for one year. The subjects were interviewed at the beginning of the study and then every two months during the study. They were also assessed for psychological functioning at six months and twelve months. The results were, yes, you guessed it, the pet owners enjoyed better health and 16 percent fewer visits to the doctor. Pets lower blood pressure, reduce heart rate, decrease stress levels, jump start the immune system, etc., etc.
Pets provide companionship that is a form of intimacy.
Pet owners know that they talk to their pets, they touch them, and they hold them. And pets are loyal. All of these things are a way of lowering our sense of isolation and tension. Pets have been so successful in providing positive elements to humans that many in the medical profession are prescribing pet ownership as therapy for their patients. Pets are good.