Living Longer with an Animal Family
By: Julian Macfarlane
Tags: Longevity, Pets, Aging

Who doesn’t love dogs?

The Selwyn Foundation has an interesting article that cites Swedish data. If you are a senior and live alone, you will live longer if you have a dog.

The article doesn’t go to far into why this is the case. But it pretty much seems like commonsense, if only because dogs need to be walked. And walking the dog gets a senior out into the sunshine, gives him a little exercise, and opportunity for social contact.

It’s a superbly written article, one of many useful articles on this site. Go and take a look.

Who doesn’t love dogs? !!!

PUTIN ALSO LOVES CATS

Of course, I am biased because it agrees with a lot of what I have written in my Ageing Young Series of books, which posit that human beings domesticated themselves as the most social and playful of social animals — so social that we can empathize even with other species. Human beings domesticated themselves about 50,000 years ago. Soon afterwards, wolves self- domesticated — as dogs. Later, during the Neolithic, cats domesticated themselves, too. Four legs or two — we are all family.

As it turns out, most pets offer health advantages — even fish! After all, what is more relaxing than an aquarium? But cats and dogs are at the top of the list.

Of course, dogs and cats are different kinds of animals, with both advantages and disadvantages for owners.

Who doesn’t love cats?

JACKSON GALAXY AND FRIEND

In many cases, cats are the better choice for a senior, however.

At the very least, they are an excellent substitute. I love dogs but I couldn’t responsibly keep one here in downtown Tokyo. Cats are just easier in my particular environment. AND: they toilet train themselves and live longer.

Contrary to popular opinion, they can be walked on a leash. And they are trainable. Yes, they can do taught to do tricks. Clicker training helps. Watch this Jackson Galaxy video.

Here’s another wonderful article. This is from a blog published by Ferplast which is an Italian company that has an almost half century of involvement helping people and their pets all across the globe. Support them.

Why Cats Make You Live Longer

1) ANTISTRESS CATS. Cats alleviate tension and help us relax. It is a proven fact that cat owners are less likely to suffer from anxiety and stress. Stroking a cat after a long, turbulent day at work can calm the soul and return it to a state of tranquillity and calm: it is more effective than a sleeping pill! In fact, it is well known that sleep comes much easier when there is a cat curled up next to you. 2) THE POWER OF THE PURR. The purr has proven therapeutic benefits. It slows the heart rate, reducing the risk of heart disease, speeds up the healing of broken bones and wounds, and reduces blood pressure fluctuations. When purring, cats emit low frequency microwaves that vary from 1.5 to 6 gigahertz. These are the same microwave frequencies used in arthritis therapy: keeping a cat on your lap can be of great benefit, especially for the elderly. 3) MOVEMENT. Cats are very playful. They adore chasing balls, leaves and any other moving objects. Keeping up with them can be tiring and can become a real workout! Playing with a cat is also an efficient way to treat migraines in children and adolescents. 4) THE POWER OF LOVE. Who said that cats are not affectionate? If you think cats are less affectionate than dogs, you couldn’t be more wrong. They are less exuberant in their affection, that is true however, they remember our displays of affection and reciprocate at another time. In addition, taking care of cats opens our hearts to more love, guaranteeing growth on a human level. That is not all. The presence of a cat in the house can be just as rewarding as having a partner, and everyone knows, love prolongs our life!

You can bond with a cat just like a dog, if not more so, as I wrote in my article about my best friend Chibi.

Do you need a purebred cat? Frankly, I have had both purebreds and mixed breeds. Mixed breed cats usually live longer and are healthier. When you choose a cat (or dog) , you should do so by personality — not breed, which doesn’t make as much difference as you think.. It’s like choosing a boyfriend or girlfriend. Don’t bother with ‘race’ or ‘breed’.