When Chantel Trollip arrives at work at a close-by hospital, she is met by quite a lot of staff, together with Elwood the cat.
“I met Elwood for the primary time roughly a 12 months in the past. Trollip informed The Dodo, “I took up additional hours on the hospital and observed him hanging round extra recurrently.” “He’s there nearly each day, and if I don’t see him, my coworkers will.” He’s usually both guarding the entrance entrance for pats or absorbing the solar within the shrubs close by.”
Credit score: Chantel Trollip
Trollip and her coworkers aren’t precisely certain the place Elwood comes from or who he belongs to, however he’s all the time appeared completely comfy on the hospital. After some time, nobody actually questioned it anymore and regarded Elwood as simply one other hospital worker.
Credit score: Chantel Trollip
Trollip arrived at work someday and acknowledged Elwood — and rapidly famous that, along with his collar, he was now carrying an worker ID card that recognized him as a member of the safety workforce. She’d had a nasty begin to the day, however studying that Elwood was not an impartial contractor and had been “employed” as a full-time worker of the hospital instantly modified her thoughts.
Trollip defined, “He has his personal ID badge that’s much like our real workers credentials, all the way down to the decision numbers on the reverse.”
Credit score: Chantel Trollip
Elwood’s day by day routine hasn’t altered a lot now that he’s a full-fledged worker, since he’s all the time taken his work severely. He’s all the time loved the eye and head pats, however he doesn’t have time to snuggle or spend an excessive amount of time with one group. He has a job to finish, in spite of everything.
Credit score: Chantel Trollip
“He enjoys an excellent pat however likes to maintain issues brief and transfer round a good bit,” Trollip stated. “He’s on the safety workforce, in spite of everything, has to ensure everybody coming and going will get checked.”
Credit score: Chantel Trollip
Whereas Trollip and her staff aren’t certain the place Elwood got here from, they’re delighted he’s right here, and everybody feels safer figuring out Elwood the guard cat is consistently looking out.
10 Mental & Physical Health Benefits of Having Pets
Pets are family members. Like humans, they need love, health care, and attention. But pet parents’ relationships with their pets are not one sided. Pets give so much back in return, improving the health of our minds, bodies, and hearts.
The benefits of having pets are plentiful — and scientifically proven. Pets help their humans live longer, happier, and healthier lives mentally and physically. The Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI) gathers the latest information on the positive health effects of companion animals. These researchers help make the case for adding a pet to a household.
From reducing the risk of heart attacks to alleviating loneliness, these furry family members are contributing to healthy communities.
Let’s talk about those benefits.
Better Mental Health
Pets can contribute to positive mental health through emotional work and practical work. The emotional work can be described as alleviating worries, stress, and depression. You may have noticed that your pet wastes no time noticing and springing into action when you are upset or sad. Their intuition is what makes them great support and therapy animals, and animal-assisted therapy is effective in treating PTSD, anxiety, and depression.
Then there’s the practical work that comes with caring for a pet. This means making sure their individual needs are met. Developing a daily routine of walks and feeding times can help pet parents with mental health conditions feel a sense of purpose that affects other areas of their lives.
The Data: Pets and Mental Health
A 2016 HABRI study explored the role of pets in the social networks of people managing a long‑term mental health problem.
- Pets were found to contribute to a stronger sense of identity in pet owners with mental health conditions, including reducing negative perceptions of a mental health condition or diagnosis.
- Pets provide a sense of security and routine in the relationship, which reinforces stable cognition.
- Pets provide a distraction and disruption from distressing symptoms, such as hearing voices, suicidal thoughts, rumination, and facilitating routine and exercise for those who care for them.
Better Physical Health
Every little bit counts when it comes to physical health benefits, and those daily walks really add up for dog owners. Since they are more likely to meet the criteria for regular moderate exercise, dog parents have lower instances of obesity.
Your heart is one of the biggest spots to see the full benefits of pet ownership. Just the presence of animals has significant impacts on blood pressure, with pet owners having a lower resting blood pressure than people without pet babies.
Cat parents aren’t left out of the healthy heart race. A feline friend in your home reduces your risk of death due to cardiovascular diseases, including stroke and heart attacks. According to the Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI), people without cats have a 40% higher relative risk of heart attack than non‑cat owners.
The Data: Pets and Physical Health
- Approximately 60% of dog walkers met the criteria for regular moderate and/or vigorous leisure‑time physical activity compared with about 45% for non‑dog owners and dog owners who did not walk their dog in a 2005 Michigan Behavioral Risk Factor Survey.
- In a study of adults over the age of 50 with mildly elevated blood pressure, the presence of a pet dog or cat had a significant impact on blood pressure, with dog ownership being associated with lower diastolic and systolic blood pressure compared to people who did not own pets.
- A study of over 2,400 cat owners concluded there was a significantly lower relative risk for death due to cardiovascular diseases, including stroke and heart attack, compared to non‑owners during a 20‑year follow‑up.
Healthier Aging Process
Research has shown that older adults get social and emotional support from their pets that combats loneliness and depression. Aside from promoting exercise and reducing stress, pets also assist in the treatment of long‑term diseases like Alzheimer’s and dementia.
Pet companionship is also key for hospital and cancer patients. When coupled with animal-assisted activities, pets help patients with pain management and in interactions with doctors and nurses. Those patients also responded better to treatments and reported improvements in their quality of life.
The Data: Pets and Aging
- Results of a study of older adults who live alone suggest that pet ownership may act as a buffer against loneliness.
- Results of a one-year study that examined the impact of animal‑assisted therapy (AAT) on patients with chronic pain demonstrated that, following AAT, patients reported reduced pain, discomfort, and stress. Additionally, stress among nursing staff was found to decrease significantly following AAT.
- A study of older adults with mental illness living in long‑term care facilities concluded that AAT reduced depressive symptoms and improved cognitive function.
When we look at the data on mental health, physical health, and aging, it’s clear that pets contribute much to people’s lives in these areas, as well as being the loving companions we’ve always known they are.