Benefits of Owning a Pet

Do you remember the time you got your first pet?  Feeling your puppy’s rough tongue and wet kisses on your face?  Thinking of the perfect name that matches your kitten’s curious personality? Staring for hours as your colorful fish explores its new tank?  Hoping to teach your chatty blue parakeet how to say “hello”?  That initial excitement turns into a fondness and love as the bond between you and your animal friend grows. 

Many people experience that first-pet feeling as a child, but the benefits of owning a pet are not limited to the younger generation.  Adults aged 50 and older can reap many positive rewards from pet ownership which in turn can enhance those later years in life. 

One of the most obvious benefits of pet ownership is the companionship a pet gives.  Oftentimes, older adults experience loss when friends and family move or pass away.  Having an animal friend can alleviate the loneliness that follows as a result.  It is also not uncommon for pet owners to talk to their pets and share their emotions – happy or sad.  Animals can be a sounding board and not give judgement like our human friends sometimes do. 

Pets can also provide a routine for adults who otherwise lack a regular schedule.  Once the kids are raised and out of the house, and going to work every day is a thing of the past, the days grow long and boredom sets in.  Because pets require care and attention in the form of exercise, feeding, and bathroom needs, they give a sense of purpose and structure to an older person’s daily life.  Exercise and mobility are an added bonus since, unfortunately, it becomes easier to become more and more sedentary as we age. 

Finally, studies have shown that pets provide healing power for humans by way of reducing stress and lowering blood pressure.  In doing so, they can alleviate depression and loneliness.  In addition, pets can help seniors forget about physical difficulties that oftentimes come with getting older. 

The beauty of pet ownership is that it is a symbiotic relationship.  Where an animal receives the care, love, and attention it needs to survive, a human gains a life-extending friendship.  Simply put, each enriches the other in the best way possible.  As French poet and novelist Anatole France so truthfully wrote, “Until one has loved an animal, a part of one’s soul remains unawakened.” 

Contributed & Written by

Shannon Robinson / Home Instead Office Coordinator