Animals Can Be a Therapeutic Stress Relief
Relax with your pet and lower your blood pressure. Many studies have found scientific evidence of the therapeutic benefits of pet ownership.
Contact with farm animals appeared to be therapeutic for patients with mental illness according to Norwegian researchers. These findings were similar to previous studies which have shown that animal-assisted therapy involving cats and dogs was associated with decreased stress and improved self-confidence, social competence, and overall quality of life.
In a study from the Minnesota Stroke Institute in Minneapolis, people who owned cats had a lower risk of dying from a heart attack or other cardiovascular disease, including stroke. Whereas people who did not own cats had a 40% higher risk of dying from a heart attack than people who were cat owners.
It’s very important, however, to find the pet that will fit into your lifestyle. Impulsive purchases of a cute puppy, for instance, can be disasterous and can actually turn into a source of a huge amount of stress and unhappiness.
Source: Berget B, et al “Animal-assisted therapy with farm animals for persons with psychiatric disorders: effects on self-efficacy, coping ability and quality of life, a randomized controlled trial” Clin Pract Epidemol Ment Health 2008; 4: 9.
Source: Qureshi A et al, “Cats as domestic pets reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases: Results from the Second National Health and Nutrition Examination Study Mortality Follow-up Study.” ASA Meeting 2008.
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