1. An Endless Source of Love and Affection- A pet’s love towards their human is pure, unconditional, and true. When you bring a pet to your home for the first time, especially if you have rescued the little fur-baby, they tend to remember it for a lifetime, and do not take this for granted. While they do admire us for the delicious treats and mouth-watering food we give them, pets love us for more than that. The bonds pets share with their humans cannot be quantified. As they grow increasingly attached to their humans, some pets may even develop separation anxiety when kept away from their masters for too long. Regardless of your situation and personal life, we can all use such unconditional love in our lives from time to time.
2. Spending Time with Pets Can Relieve Stress - Spending quality time with your pets has scientifically been proven to reduce stress levels and lower heightened blood pressure. Petting your fur-baby can reduce heightened blood pressure by 5-10%. This is the very reason well-trained cats and dogs are often used for therapy in hospitals, homes for the elderly and other places where stress relief is required. Additionally, spending time playing with our pets also acts as a stress buster and helps vent out frustration and negative energy.
3. Pets are a Social Magnet - Our pets quickly become the center of attraction wherever we take them. People flock towards them to give them a gentle pet, to play with them or just to say hi and adore their cuteness! This gives their owners the opportunity to meet and mingle with new people and thereby broaden their social circle. Furthermore, pets often give us a reason to head outdoors when we would otherwise just be content in having a comfortable beer on a Sunday afternoon. Even on the occasions we do not bring our pets along with us, talking about them and sharing their entertaining, funny, and delightful photos and videos become an engaging conversation starter.
4. Pet Ownership Teaches Responsibility - Owning a pet comes with its own sets of responsibilities and duties. As a pet owner, we are literally responsible to take care of another living being and care of all their needs and desires. This responsibility is not just limited to feeding them on time or providing them with initial training but is a life-long commitment. If you have a dog, you are responsible to maintain their fitness by taking them out for regular walks. Cats may not require walks; however, their litter needs to be changed on a daily basis. Even taking care of fish is a major responsibility because you must continuously monitor their aquarium and change the water if it gets too dirty. In tending to a pet, one realises that they quickly grow up and become more mature than they were before.
5. A Package of Entertainment - In addition to being a bundle of joy and a fountain of love and affection, our pets are also an entire package of entertainment in their own right. Every pet tends to have his/ her own personality that causes specific quirks or habits that are not just entertaining, but are also adorable! Spending time with your pets or just sitting and observing them while you go about your own day brings a lot of entertainment, joy, and laughter. You will be surprised how often your pet’s distinctive quirks and habits distract you from the issues you are having and cause you to engage in more heart-healthy laughter to keep boredom away.
6. Safety and Security - While our pets do provide companionship and are a lot of fun to cuddle with, they also provide a sense of security. Dogs are known for barking and raising an alarm when the house is in threat of being breached by outsiders. Bigger dogs are especially great in guarding properties and scaring away thieves and other unwanted parties. That being said, other pets such as cats, rabbits and ferrets also provide a sense of security as they make the four walls of your apartment feel like home. They provide comfort in knowing that there will be someone waiting for you when you get home… someone who loves you depends on you and someone to whom you mean the entire world!
7. Pets Can Help Improve Your Mood Spending time with your pet releases oxytocin in your brain. Oxytocin, is the chemical that is responsible for us feeling happy and relaxed, and is fondly known as the “love hormone.” This makes time spent with your pet more relaxing and enjoyable. Furthermore, recent studies have reported that people who own pets are less likely to fall into depression as compared to people who don’t. In the post-pandemic era, when more and more of us are spending time working from home, having the companionship of a pet may help us keep a happier and more jovial temper.
8. Pet Ownership Makes Better Humans - Recent studies have proven that being a pet owner makes people more agreeable to be around and greatly enhances their ability to have positive relationships with others. Pet ownership has been linked to a positive change in the owner’s attitude when it comes to attributes such as patience, reliability, and affection
9. Pets Make You More Physically Active - This is particularly true for people that own dogs. Dogs need to go outside or need to access the outdoors at least once, if not twice a day. Taking pets out twice a day for a casual or walk, helps owners achieve their recommended 30 minutes of active time during the day. To add to this, pet owners burn even more calories when they engage in play sessions with their fur-buddies.
10. Pets Can Help with Your Child’s learning Growing up with a pet in the house not only gives children a playmate but also ensures that they get to learn a lot. Children that grow up with pets not only learn more responsibility through taking care of their pets, but also learn to share, learn how to cope with not being the center of attention, and learn how to empathize with living beings. Additionally, children that have grown up with pets have been known to have better immunity against certain allergies. Children who are exposed to cats and dogs from an early age, in particular, tend to build stranger and more effective immunity systems
