Nowadays, when we walk on the street, we will find that many people have pets such as puppies in their hands. So is keeping pets good for people? So many people keep them, so there must be some benefits.
What are some of the advantages and disadvantages of keeping a pet?
The following is an introduction to the advantages and disadvantages of keeping pets. Let’s learn about it together!
Nothing compares to the joy of coming home to a loyal companion. The unconditional love of a pet can do more than keep you company. Pets may also decrease stress, improve heart health, and even help children with their emotional and social skills. An estimated 68% of U.S. households have a pet.
The benefits of keeping pets
1. Help people socialize
Although it sounds a bit unreasonable, keeping dogs can indeed increase the owner’s social opportunities, as Michael Landa, CEO of natural pet food brand Nulo, thinks. “I take my dog out for a walk every day, and I stop to talk to people 5 to 10 times every time I walk.” He said. Christie Keith, social media network editor of Broken Jun.com, agreed: “A 1999 Canadian study found that pet owners have higher “social participation” than non-pet owners.” In addition, an Austrian study found that the identity of pet owners helps to increase social contact, increase interactions between neighbors (for example, neighbors will chat while walking their dogs), and even make the relationship between neighbors more harmonious.
2. Helps children grow up
There are countless benefits for children growing up in a family with pets, especially in terms of their emotional development. “Children who are with cats or dogs can learn more ways to express themselves and get along better with people,” said Randa. She often takes her children to animal shelters to provide them with toys and food. Pets are also greatly beneficial in treating children’s autism and ADHD. For children with ADHD, caring for pets can help them focus on their sense of responsibility, while hugging and petting pets can greatly comfort children with autism.
3. Relieve pain
Believe it or not, pets can be said to be the best medicine, especially for people who suffer from chronic pain such as migraines or arthritis, Becker said. “Like Valium, pets can reduce anxiety. The less anxiety, the less pain.” He said, “Some studies on acute pain have found that adults who use pets for treatment have a 50% lower need for painkillers than those who do not.”
4. Improve mood
“People who have pets have fewer worries and more laughter in their lives.” Becker said, “When you go home, you feel like you are George Clooney, a star.” This is one of the most basic reasons why pets are used as various forms of therapy. “At Walter Reed Army Medical Center, they use dogs to help soldiers deal with severe post-traumatic stress syndrome,” said Katie Nelson, DVM. “They found that having pets can make it easier for them to reintegrate into society. Moreover, having pets can reduce suicide rates, which is the most serious health threat facing veterans. Having pets will give them a sense of responsibility and feel that they are cared for, and they don’t have to explain to their pets what they have been through.”
5. Companionship
For some lonely elderly people living alone, it is beneficial to their physical and mental health, and mutual communication with pets makes the lives of the elderly more fulfilling. Dogs are the best companions for people living alone. For some single elderly people who have some unexpected situations at home, such as sudden stroke and heart attack, trained companion pets can serve as an alarm in time;
6. Improve health and enrich life
As human companions, pets are a source of happiness and healthy life for us humans. Keeping pets can make people live healthier and more fulfilled. At the same time, it is good for people’s hearts and can lower blood pressure and blood lipids. Studies have found that for people with heart disease and other chronic diseases, keeping pet dogs and cats can significantly reduce clinical symptoms by adjusting some of their psychological states. Walking the dog and playing with it can relax people’s spirits; 3. Keeping pets in an increasingly competitive society can provide spiritual support, especially when encountering setbacks. Through communication with pet dogs, it is beneficial to the mental health of the breeder, and various unnecessary pressures in life are reduced, thereby improving work efficiency;
7. Cultivate a sense of responsibility and improve social skills
Keeping pets can cultivate children’s sense of responsibility, love and social skills. When children raise dogs, they will play a positive role. Moreover, dogs are widely used by psychologists to treat or help children or adults with problems. Raising a puppy will give children a sense of responsibility, understanding and sympathy for animals from an early age, which will often be transferred to humans, producing the same effect of understanding, sympathy and care for people;
8. Protecting family members
Raising pets can protect the family, prevent the family from being stolen, and guard the family, giving the whole family a sense of security. Pets have very sensitive hearing and smell, and are very loyal to their owners and families. In the event of an accident, pets will stand up and protect their owners and families regardless of their own lives. In addition, if there is a gas leak at home or the faucet is forgotten to be turned off, it will also remind the owner in time.
