Psychological Advantages of Owning a Pet

Psychological Advantages of Owning a Pet

There are approximately 77 million canines and 93 million cats in the United States, which demonstrates that pets are pervasive and significant in people's lives.

In addition, it is commonly believed that pets play an important social role in their owners' lives and that look after your dogs at home or cat can reduce social isolation. There is evidence that pets can have positive psychological effects on humans as well, despite the fact that pets provide their owners with many direct material benefits (deterring burglars, reducing vermin infestations, etc.).

What Studies Reveal About Pet Owners

(Friedman & Thomas, 1995) Research indicates that pet owners are less likely to perish in the year following a heart attack than those who do not own a pet (1 percent vs. 7 percent, respectively). Medicare patients with pets had fewer doctor visits than those without pets (Siegel, 1990), and HIV-positive men with pets reported less depression than those without pets (Siegel, Angulo, Detels, Wesch, & Mullen, 1999).

People with severe physical disabilities (e.g., traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury) who were given a service dog showed improvements in their well-being (e.g., self-esteem, locus of control) within six months, whereas the control group who were placed on a waiting list did not.

Numerous studies (e.g., Uchino, Cacioppo, & Kiecolt-Glaser, 1996) demonstrate that increased social support leads to better psychological and physical health, which is one of the reasons why companion ownership may be advantageous for humans. In addition, increased social support enhances cardiovascular, endocrine, and immune function (Uchino et al., 1996), whereas decreased social support increases mortality rates (House et al., 1988).

Numerous pet owners view their animals as "close others" in their lives. 50% of pet owners consider their pet to be "as much a member of the family as any other member of the household," 30% report that their pet shares their bed, and 25% claim that their pet is a better listener than their spouse (Associated Press, 2009, 2010).

Numerous studies demonstrate that psychologically close others can enhance one's happiness and well-being, whereas social isolation and exclusion can have negative effects (Williams, 2007). Therefore, if pets are like close friends to their caretakers, they may provide the same psychological benefits as a close friend.

Recent Research into Pet Ownership

Three recent studies sought to determine how and why companion ownership is psychologically beneficial for humans. This is their conclusion:

The well-being benefits of pet ownership are enhanced when the pet also meets the social requirements of the owner.

Pet owners typically report greater well-being, self-esteem, healthier personality traits (e.g., conscientiousness), and more positive attachment styles (e.g., less apprehensive, less preoccupied).

Pets that fulfilled their owners' social requirements more effectively were associated with lower levels of depression, loneliness, self-esteem, and happiness in their owners. These advantages existed regardless of the owner's human and social resources.

People who benefit greatly from their canines are also closer to other significant people in their lives and receive more support from them, not less. This is also known as the complement hypothesis; pets complement rather than compete with other forms of social support. When other sources of social support are inadequate, pets do not serve as substitutes; rather, they provide additional support.