Pets are a big commitment of time and money, but the benefits they provide are also substantial. Eighty-five percent of pet owners say that having a pet improves their mental health by providing companionship and unconditional love and support. Scientific research into the benefits of living with animals is showing what pet owners already know, that furry friends are good for our well-being. At Highland Hospital Behavioral Health, in Charleston, West Virginia, we serve children, adolescents, and adults with a wide variety of mental health concerns, and we have seen how much value their four-legged companions can add to their lives.
Benefits of Pet Ownership for Mental Heath
Studies have found that spending time with animals can:
- Decrease stress
- Lower blood pressure
- Improve heart health
- Reduce loneliness and boost mood
- Help children develop emotional and social skills
- Increase physical activity, which is correlated to a number of other positive mental health outcomes:
- Releasing “feel good” chemicals in the brain
- Providing a distraction from difficult feelings
- Increasing confidence
- Giving people a way to connect with others
- Adding to coping skills people can choose to cope with difficulties
Establishing Routines
Pet ownership can also help people build structure in their lives since they need to set up a schedule of feeding, grooming, and exercising their pets. This can give humans a reason to get out of bed in the morning and to push through difficulties. Routines can help people with their mental health by:
- Helping them avoid unhealthy habits they are trying to break
- Reduce unpredictability in their lives
- Make them more mindful of their priorities
- Giving loved ones a way to gauge their well-being
Things to Consider Before Getting a Pet
Pets are a big commitment. It’s important to think about the whole picture of pet ownership before rushing into getting a furry (or scaly) friend:
- Space
- How well-suited is your home for the pet you are considering?
- If there are small children in your home, are you able to ensure that your pet has a way to get away from them when the animal needs a break?
- Will your animal have adequate indoor and/or outdoor space to be happy?
- Do you have room for a crate, habitat, cage, food, water, litter box, or whatever else they might need?
- If your pet disrupts your sleep routine, do you have space to make them comfortable away from you while you sleep?
- Time
- Animals can have some very unpleasant behaviors when they are left alone too much. Are you able to spend enough time at home to provide for your animal’s companionship needs, or can you take them with you when you go places?
- Are you able to commit to caring for an animal for however long they are expected to live? The lifespan of a cat or dog can be a couple of decades in some cases.
- Cost
- Pet food
- Toys
- Grooming
- Veterinary care
- Boarding or a pet sitter when you travel
- Age
- If you get a young animal, you will likely need to do a lot of work to train them.
- Older animals may have added medical concerns.
- The energy level of an animal can change a lot as they grow older.
- Four-legged friends don’t live forever, so you will likely have to say goodbye to your beloved pet at some point and deal with the loss of doing so.
- Exercise
- Be sure to choose a pet whose energy level will align with your own.
- Dogs need to be walked multiple times per day, and cats may require their people to play with them.
Engaging With Animals When You Cannot Have Pets
If you decide that pet ownership isn’t a good option for you right now, there may be other ways you can interact with animals:
- Animal rescues, shelters, and sanctuaries often need volunteers to assist with animals in their care. Feeding, walking, and socializing animals can be a great way to spend your free time.
- Help out a friend or family member who is a pet owner by offering to walk their pet or take care of them when they are out of town.
- The positive findings from research into animal-human interactions have also led to the use of therapy dogs in settings like hospitals, nursing homes, and schools. People young and old can benefit from the calm, caring, non-judgmental companionship of animals when they are going through difficult times like health concerns or academic difficulties.
- There are also programs that utilize horses in “equine-assisted therapy.” Veterans, autistic people, and others who may struggle to verbalize their emotions often enjoy this therapeutic intervention and find that it makes it easier for them to utilize other forms of therapy.
At Highland Hospital Behavioral Health, we are committed to improving the lives of our patients by offering evidence-based, compassionate treatment that is individualized to each person we serve. Our innovative, whole-person approach to mental health has made us a leading behavioral healthcare provider in the region.
