Having Pets is Good For Our Health

For those of us who know the joys of having a pet, we know the benefits to our emotional well-being from having their companionship. But, research also supports that there are physical health benefits from having pets in our lives as well.

Not only are they great companions that we enjoy having around but they are also great for our health! Dogs and cats especially are good for reducing stress in our lives. There is so much research out there it would be overwhelming to note it all here. There are many pet related websites that you can look up for more details on studies that have been done regarding the specific health advantages to having pets in our lives.

There is quite a bit of research that you can find on the internet espousing the health benefits of having pets- cats, dogs and horses namely. Most of the research shows that having cats and dogs reduces stress levels and therefore reduces the risk of stress related illnesses such as heart attacks, high blood pressure and strokes. Pets help us live happier healthier lives due to their companionship of unconditional love and acceptance. Having them to touch and share affections with is soothing and peace inducing and helps lower our blood pressure. They help us slow down and just be in the present moment, which helps reduce the negative effects of a lot of stress.

Pets don't care if we are rich, attractive, fat or thin. They are great listeners and simply enjoy our company. They help reduce the stress we feel from all the challenges we face in such a fast paced modern day lifestyle by allowing us to stroke them, sit and visit with them while taking a break from running around doing stuff. They don't place any demands on us and let us just be who we are. People recovering from heart attacks, stroke, divorce, death or losses of any kind tend to recover more quickly than those who do not have pets to help aide in their recovery.

There are service organizations such as Delta Society and Handidogs that train pet therapy partners and service dogs to help people recovering from illnesses and accidents. Dogs and other animals such as cats and horses have also been used in pet therapy and as service animals to those in need. Some research has also shown that as many as one in three dogs can detect when a diabetic is about to go into a diabetic shock or an epileptic is about to have a seizure in enough time to alert them so they can get a snack or prepare for a seizure by getting into a safe position. Pets not only add to the quality of our lives but they can also help us recover from illnesses, accidents and keep us safe by warning us of impending episodes that could compromise our well-being and safety. Pets can keep us company, healthy and safe with their companionship and innate survival instincts. Pets are good for our emotional as well as physical health.

Deborah Brightstar-The Doggie Diva, owns and operates, Doggie Diva Pet Care, LLC, a licensed, bonded and insured, pet sitting business in Tucson, AZ, where she customizes her service with a, "We take care of your pets and home as if they were our own!" approach, providing the highest quality of care and service to all of her clients- people as well as furry, feathered or scaly. She shares her active and fun-filled life and her abundance of love with her two rescued greyhounds Kali and Dora and the love-of-her-life Pepper, her English Springer Spaniel and Pet Therapy partner. She enjoys writing about pet related topics and on a variety of other subjects in her spare time. For more information, visit her website at http://www.doggiedivapetcare.com