With six out of every 10 Australian households owning a pet, it’s clear that we’re a nation of pet lovers. Lucky for us, not only do pet owners enjoy the companionship and love of a cat or dog, but they also enjoy better health than non pet owners.

In fact, research over the past 30 years has shown that living with pets provides some great health benefits including decreasing your blood pressure and your cholesterol levels. But pets don’t offer just physical health benefits, they also offer psychological, social and emotional benefits.

Pets and the Heart

Perhaps one of the most notable areas of pets and health is of the heart. Several studies have shown that pet owners who have survived a heart attack live for longer than those who are non owners. Being a pet owner also reduces blood pressure and lowers the levels of cardiovascular disease.

Kids and Pets

Many of us have great memories of our first childhood pet. In fact, a pet actually develops a child’s nurturing and social skills. Kids that have pets have been shown to be more popular, have higher self esteem, be more empathetic and suffer less from feelings of loneliness than those children that don’t have a pet.

Better Overall Health

Pets are great for general health, with pet owners visiting the doctors up to 15 to 20 % less often than non-pet owners. They also improve our exercise habits by getting us up off the couch and out into the world, helping us stick to a routine and stay slim.

Dogs for the Elderly

Emotionally, elderly persons who have lost a spouse have a more positive outlook if they have a strong attachment to a pet. Other studies also show that caregivers of the elderly feel less burdened when there is a pet around, particularly if it is a cat, which generally requires less care than a dog.

Pets for Mind and Soul

Pets are great for making friendships. Dogs especially are a natural conversation starter. People can ask about breed, or watch dogs playing together. This especially helps ease people out of social isolation or shyness.

Like any enjoyable activity, playing with a dog or stroking a cat can increase our natural “feel good” hormones and give us pleasurable and calming feelings. By focusing our attention outside ourselves, pets get us to be active and help to improve our moods.