Hattie

Hattie 

Mr.  De Groot

English 

February 29, 2024

How Pets Affect Our Health 

You walk home after a rough day, you open the door and see a giant ball of fluff that loves you unconditionally. Almost everyone in the world has a pet, whether they have fluffy fur or scaly skin, they all affect our mental and physical health in many different ways.

Pets can impact your mental health in a somewhat bad way. Many people experience more stress when taking care of  an animal. Taking care of a dog for example, you  have to walk them almost everyday and take them outside a lot. Many stress about paying all the costs that come with them like paying for food, toys and vet bills. This can flow into stress about them getting sick or even death. The American Psychiatric Association took a survey finding out that 66% percent of pet owners stress about their pets health, 71% are worried about their death. The APA also says “Pets are all likely to get sick at some point in their lifetime.” This goes to show that owning pets is not always easy, but there are still very many upsides to owning pets.

  One of the many upsides is companionship, According to the NIH (News in Health) “‘Dogs are very present. If someone is struggling with something, they know how to sit there and be loving,’ says Dr. Ann Berger, a physician and researcher at the NIH Clinical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. ‘Their attention is focused on the person all the time.’” People without family say that their pets have helped them go through really hard times. “The APA survey results show that 70% of people say that their pets provide unconditional love, companionship  and support to them.”  Pets will always love you no matter what you do! They can help people go through stressful and difficult and busy times.  They can provide a calming presence at home, and help reduce anxiety and stress. They help people cope while going through hard times when they feel alone. Pets provide companionship no matter what, and this can help boost your mood.

Pets also affect your physical health in many ways, from boosting your mood to helping you stay active. They benefit physical health. Studies show that pets lower your blood pressure and cholesterol. This will overall increase  your  happiness and active life.  Walking your pet can have a lot of great benefits, it can help strengthen your bones, burn body fat, and increase endurance and muscle power. 

Pets are definitely worth the cost and stress that they come with. Walking home to see your pet is one of the best feelings ever, they will always love you. While pets may have downsides, the benefits are far too great to not want a pet!

Work Cited

American Psychiatric Association. "Americans Note Overwhelming Positive Mental Health Impact of Their Pets in New Poll; Dogs and Cats Equally Beneficial." American Psychiatric Association, American Psychiatric Association, 1 Mar. 2023, www.psychiatry.org/news-room/news-releases/positive-mental-health-impact-of-pets  

           Accessed on 8 March, 2024.

Robinson, Lawrence, and Jeanne Segal. "The Health and Mood-Boosting Benefits of Pets." HelpGuide.org, HelpGuide.org, www.helpguide.org/articles/mental-health/mood-boosting-power-of-dogs.htm 

             Accessed on 8 March, 2024.

The Power of Pets Health Benefits of Human-Animal Interactions. “NIH News in Health”National institute of health, edited by Harrison Wein and Tianna Hicklin, National Institutes of Health, Feb. 2018, https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2018/02/power-pets#:~:text=Interacting%20with%20animals%20has%20been,support%2C%20and%20boost%20your%20mood 

            Accessed on 8 March, 2024.