Recently, I read that in some religions, it is felt that when a pet owner is ill, the animal can take on the illness to help in healing their owner. While many pet owners claim that their pets actually do make them feel better, there are still some skeptics. However, research studies show that pets do have a very positive impact on various aspects of our health. In fact, according to In Their Innocence and Wisdom by Lilly Calandrello, studies have correlated pet ownership with the following health benefits: lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels, better psychological health, lower heart attack rates, higher survival rates following coronary heart disease, enhanced self-esteem and social interaction. So as people take care of their companion animals, the animals are in turn taking care of their owners.
Among the several health benefits of owning a pet, animals can help us emotionally and psychologically. For instance, studies conducted on men with AIDS and with senior citizens indicate that pet ownership can help relieve symptoms of depression. Because depressed people are given an animal to care for, they are given a new outlook on life. They have someone who depends on them, needs them, and gives them unconditional love. A study published in March of 1999 in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society stated, "Senior citizens who own pets are less likely to experience depression and are better able to tolerate social isolation..." In my opinion, owning a pet often helps relieve stress and anxiety by encouraging playfulness and promoting laughter.
In addition to psychological benefits, pets provide many medical benefits. For example, a large study published in an Australian medical journal in 1992 found that having pets is healthy for the heart. Researchers compared cardiovascular-disease risk factors in more than 5,000 people. Pet owners had lower blood pressure and levels of triglycerides,
