Benefits of Having  Pets

Benefits of Having  Pets

    The connection between an owner and their pet is typically a close emotional one, and every bond is unique. When emotions are involved, relationships cannot be viewed in terms of their material worth. We should perhaps stop thinking about them in purely cold rational terms, as the human desire to care for another being is a powerful one.

Evolutionary theories that seek to explain this bond range from the biophilia hypothesis (humans have an intrinsic attraction to the natural world) to an inherent attraction or caring response to child-like characteristics such as a high forehead, large eyes and a shortened nose.

Evolutionary biologist Stephen Jay Gould argued that the evolution of the appearance of Mickey Mouse follows exactly this trend. Animators made him increasingly expressive over time, giving him a larger head, higher forehead, and shorter nose and limbs to make him “cuter”. These features are common in many popular cartoon characters.

Care-soliciting behaviour may strengthen this emotional bond. For example, guinea-pigs are known to “wheek” loudly in response to the sound of an opening fridge. 

   

    Biophilia boost: interacting with and immersing ourselves within the natural world can be intrinsically beneficial to us, given our evolutionary history.

    Caring and attachment: tending for another creature is a rewarding activity. It makes us feel good and develop a stronger sense of purpose.

    Social support: having a pet nearby can reduce loneliness. Often, we may interpret pet behaviour in a way that provides us with emotional support.

    Social catalysts: pets can be a social lubricant in many contexts. This might not only improve our personal networks, but also (indirectly) increase our sense of social support from others.

    Emotional contagion: many of our pets look happy and carefree much of the time, and that can be infectious. A pet can help us surround ourselves with a more upbeat social circle.

    Routines: caring for pets can put structure into our days and thus help reduce stress.

    Exercise: many pets encourage us to exercise more, and this has neurophysiological as well as physical benefits.

    Learning: finding out more about something, including animal behaviour, can be highly rewarding, especially when you achieve a degree of competence.

    Physical affection: touch can have powerful effects on us, so petting may be psychologically very good for us.