Cute Ways Your Pets Actually Take Care Of You

Animals are cute, cuddly, furry, interesting and delightful companions. Pet owners understand that just because they are cute, they do not take care of themselves. Pet ownership is a lot of responsibility, animals need to be taken outside for exercise, bathroom breaks, and fresh air. They need to be fed and cleaned up after. They require attention and affection. Upon first glance, it may seem that animals require too much effort for being a cute accessory in the home, but there are several surprising ways they can actually take care of you too.

More Than Just Cuteness

Having pets around offers a whole host of health benefits. They help improve your physical, mental and even spiritual condition. This is not surprising considering there is evidence that humans have had pets since as early as 30,000 years ago. Animals and humans share a special bond that is mutually beneficial. The most obvious benefit of pet ownership is that they help reduce feelings of loneliness and isolation. It is not just their mere presence that has this effect, but dogs and cats are well-known to approach their owners when they sense their owners are feeling sad or upset. It seems these animals are naturally skilled at recognizing emotions and willingly express comforting and nurturing behaviors to help humans regain their emotional footing in life.

Unconditional Love

Pets don’t judge, criticize or lose their love. Compared to humans, our pets may not seem as intelligent because they cannot reason about politics and pontificate in human language, but one thing they can do better than most humans is offer unconditional love. Unconditional love has no limits or conditions and always forgives. Your pet will always love you no matter what you are going through. They do not judge or criticize you, and if you lose your temper and snap at them, they will easily forgive you. When you walk through the door after a long day at work or school, they happily greet you and they cannot wait for a tender snuggle. This unconditional love should not be taken for granted and our pets should always be treated with respect and unconditional love in return.

Great Therapy

Pets have another ability better than most humans; superb listening skills. They will never betray your trust or share your secrets either. When you have an emotion that needs venting, consider taking it to your pet because their calmness and optimism in the face of your upset, along with never providing you with terrible advice, makes for the perfect therapist and it does not put a dent in your wallet. When venting to your pet, be mindful to keep your cool as much as possible, so your pet does not believe you are upset with them. If you notice signs of agitation in your pet (e.g. shaking, running and hiding) give them the space they need and realize you should go to the gym first and vent your frustrations there before discussing the issue again with your pet.

Meaning Of Life

Life has its ups and downs and during the down moments, it can sometimes be hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Pets can help you find your meaning in life by allowing you to focus on something other than yourself, your grief, anguish, or whatever complicated negative emotions you may be experiencing and are having trouble understanding and letting go of. Having a pet means caring for its needs, taking it out for walks, grooming and bathing it, and providing it with the love and attention it needs as a social, sentient being. This forces you to come out of your shell a little, which is essential for gaining the objectivity required to face any complicated emotional issues more clearly.

Keeps You Young

Between all the responsibilities of adulthood, the bills to pay, meetings to attend, the meals to prepare and relationships to maintain, pets help keep you young because they remind you of how to play and that play is good. Dogs love to play fetch, wrestle, bark cheerfully to get your attention or run around in circles chasing after their own tails. When you play with your dog, you can remember what it feels like to be a kid again without a care in the world, just existing to explore the world and have fun. Cognitively-speaking, adults that make time for play display more creativity and imagination, and consequently improve their problem-solving skills.

Ground You In The Present

As people get older, they can develop a tendency to sometimes focus on the past to the exclusion of the present moment. Or sometimes focus on the future to the exclusion of the here-and-now. The point is that people can have a complicated relationship with time. However, in terms of mental health, many therapies focus on the present situation and there are good reasons for it. The past is gone and the future has yet to arise. It is the present that needs to be handled with care. It is a fact that your pet can help ground you in the present moment. Pets help distract your unproductive thoughts with their cuteness and entertaining antics and drag you away from your brooding thoughts and unproductive fantasy world.

Reduce Your Stress Level

Stress is linked to the major leading causes of death including cancer, heart disease, accidents, lung issues, cirrhosis of the liver and suicide. Statistics show that most patients visit the doctor for stress-related illnesses and issues. The great news is that your pet can have a positive impact on your health by reducing your stress level. The hormone oxytocin is released when you spend time cuddling your pet. Petting or snuggling with your cat or dog brings comfort to both you and your pet. The release of oxytocin in your brain is connected to anxiety reduction and stress-relief, which causes blood pressure and cortisol levels to drop. Try focusing on the texture of your pet’s fur, the deep breaths they are taking and the snuggles they give.

Potentially Save Your Life

Cancer is the worldwide leading cause of death. Identifying malignant tumors at early stages is vital for preserving life. Trained dogs have an ability to sniff out cancer. Studies have shown that trained dogs can identify melanoma, lung, prostate, ovarian, breast, bladder, and other types of cancer. The actress Shannon Doherty revealed that her dog had detected her breast cancer before she was told by her doctors that she had it. For patients going through cancer treatment, enjoyable interactions with pets meant less depression and increased psychological and physical well-being. For children with cancer, interacting positively with pets encouraged them to feel more optimistic, happy and even be more open to participating in their treatments. Interestingly, pets have even been associated with reducing the risks for certain types of cancer.

Reduce Recovery Time

Many healers in ancient times used animals in medical therapy and today, many studies are beginning to reveal why. Pets have an immeasurable benefit for the health of humans. Having pets can help prevent illness by reducing stress, increasing physical activity and strengthening the immune system. Pets can also help reduce one’s recovery time after falling ill. Studies among patients have shown that pets can help improve mood, alleviate pain, boost motivation and willingness to meet recovery goals, as well as quicken wound healing. Having pets at the hospital can also help make the hospital stay more enjoyable in addition to boosting recovery time. Most medical therapy studies have used dogs and cats, but other animals have also been used including horses, birds and fish.

Build Immunity

Most people think that having pets means sacrificing on the cleanliness of one’s home. The result of pet ownership may be excess dirt, hair, drool, and sometimes even fleas. It is likely true that pet owners need to break out the vacuum cleaner more regularly, but the health benefits received by having pets can outweigh this disadvantage. It may seem counterintuitive, but having pets can help build up the immune system. Numerous studies have shown that children who grew up with pets in the home, had stronger immune systems and were less likely to get ill or develop allergies. Children that grew up with pets in the home also had less risk of developing asthma and even mental issues connected to physical illness (for example, allergy sufferers tend to experience lethargy and insomnia, which can then result in depression).

Help Teach Children Responsibility

Responsibility for pets can be shared with the children in the home to help teach kids responsibility. For example, children can help with feeding or grooming duties on a schedule. They can also help clean up after the pets and if old enough, can join you while you take them for a walk. Not only does having pets encourage responsible behavior in children, but pet ownership can also promote better cognitive, emotional and physical functioning. Children that play with their pets are less likely to suffer from obesity, less likely to develop allergies and asthma, and pets can even help improve children’s concentration and motivation in school. Children experiencing frustration and upset and can gain comfort through a pet. Interacting with pets also helps children identify and learn about empathy.

Keeps You Fit, Mentally And Physically

Having pets, especially a dog, can help get you up off the couch and outside for fresh air and exercise. Pet ownership tends to promote a healthier and more active lifestyle. Taking the family dog for long walks or runs and playing fetch are all cardio activities that boost your heart rate and strengthen your muscles and bones. The vitamin D from the sun is essential for healthy bones as vitamin D encourages absorption of calcium. Vitamin D also helps ward off depression and disease. The fresh air you feel and breathe outside can give you a burst of positive energy, and being outside in nature helps boost your overall sense of well-being and wards of negative and obsessive thoughts that tend to lead to depression.