The United Kingdom is a nation of animal lovers. More than half of adults in the country share their home with an animal; in fact, there are more than ten million dogs and ten million cats. Over the years, these figures have remained remarkably stable.
It’s worth asking why. What are all of these animal owners getting out of the deal? What benefits are conferred by spending time with an animal?
Enhancing Mental Health and Well-Being
Animals can be friends to humans, offering all of the emotional support and anxiety reduction that a human companion can. There have been repeated studies linking interactions with furry friends to improved subjective happiness and greater mental well-being. An RSPCA study found that around 87% of dog owners enjoyed better mental health as a result of their dogs. But you don’t have to commission a study to appreciate that stroking an appreciative cat, dog, or bunny can make you feel better about life.
Promoting Physical Health and Activity
Caring for certain kinds of animals means adopting healthy habits. The most obvious example is the duty that all dog owners have to go for a walk every now and again. If you’re looking to get into shape, then welcoming a dog into your home can be a great way to get started. If you pick out the right breed, then you might even be able to take it with you for more intense running sessions!
Strengthening Social Connections
The animal in your life might help you to get to know other people, too. While you’re walking your dog, you’ll often be forced to wait as it interacts with the dog coming in the other direction. You’ll have conversations with strangers that might otherwise have passed you by, and you’ll meet new and interesting people that you might otherwise have ignored.
In some cases, you might be exposed to an entirely new community dedicated to animals. For example, horse owners might meet up for special events, including races.
Providing Purpose and Routine
There’s an additional practical benefit to owning an animal that can also be found in the teachings of many religions and spiritual orders. Put simply, it goes like this: if your attention is focused on improving the well-being of an animal, then you’ll be less focused on the problems in your own life. Whether you’re taking your dog to the vet or buying feeding hay for rabbits, you’ll be thinking about how you can improve things for someone other than yourself.
This shift in perspective, which comes as you feed, groom, and exercise your pet, can be invaluable. In short, caring for an animal can help you to look at life in an entirely different way!
Disclosure: this is a collaborative post