Pets and Income by Samantha Ray Panganiban

                These days, people always have something to stress about. Whether it’s a job, school, health problems, or family problems, there is always something that bothers you each day. However, there is something… or should I say someone that helps relieve the anxiety of everyday problems. That, my friends, is a pet. “Stroking, holding, cuddling, or otherwise touching a loving animal can rapidly calm and soothe us when we’re stressed,” as said in the article “The Health Benefits of Pets.” Whether it is a dog, cat, bird, fish, reptile, or amphibian, a pet of your own does your life a whole lot of good. “’We found that pet owners, on average, were better off than non-owners, especially when they have a higher-quality relationship with their pets,’ says pet researcher Allen R. McConnell, PhD. He’s a professor of psychology at Miami University. ‘What [makes] a meaningful relationship varies from person to person,’” (Fields).

                As an owner of three dogs myself and as a PetSmart associate, I have witnessed first-hand how happy pets can make their owners on a daily basis. On that note, I have always been interested in how having a pet (specifically a dog or a cat) can affect the all-around well-being of a person. With that, I did some investigating. In this post, I will tell you all about how owning a pet affects the well-being of the owner.

                According to Lisa Fields (an author of articles on WebMD), there are 6 ways pets can improve your health. First, Fields mentioned that having a dog makes you less likely to get heart disease. “Dog owners walk more and have lower blood pressure than people who don’t have dog,” says Field. “Heart attack survivors and people with serious abnormal heart rhythms who own dogs live longer than people with the same problems who don’t have pets, studies show.” The second reason being that owning a can or a dog relieves stress. “Petting your cat or dog feels good. It can lower your blood pressure, helps your body release a relaxation hormone, and cuts down on levels of a stress hormone.” The third reason is that pets, especially dogs, improves your social life and can help you “connect with other people.” The fourth way a pet can improve your health is that your pet puts you in a better mood and makes your life a bit more meaningful. “People with pets are generally happier, more trusting, and less lonely than those who don’t have pets.” For those who have babies in the household, having a pet around also benefits the baby’s immune system. “Babies raised in families that have pets may be less likely to get allergies and asthma, some studies show.” The babies would also “have fewer colds and ear infections during their first year than babies living in pet-free homes, one study found.” Last but not least, when it comes to autistic children, a pet acts as a social support. “Kids tend to relate better to their classmates who have autism when pets are in the classroom.”

                In addition to the information given by Fields, Drs. Foster and Smith had additional information to inform the public how dogs benefit the lives of their owners. In the article “Physical & Medical Health Benefits of Pets,” Foster and Smith explain how pets not only affect the well-being of the typical pet owner, but the well-being of those with special needs too. Many are already aware of how some dogs are able to diagnose cancer by sniffing out the tumors. Foster and Smith listed that dogs can also predict seizures. This definitely comes in handy for those adults who live with epilepsy and others who experience chronic seizures.

“Some people who have periodic seizures have reported that their dogs can sense the onset of a seizure before they can. Now it has been found that dogs can be specially trained to recognize some type of change prior to a seizure, and signal the owner of the imminent seizure. This gives the owner sufficient time to prepare, such as moving away from a hot stove. These dogs are called ‘seizure-alert’ or ‘seizure-response’ dogs, and can be trained to signal their owners from 15 to 45 minutes prior to a seizure.”

                Furthermore, for those who live with Parkinson’s disease, dogs can be specially trained to be Parkinson’s helper dogs and be trained to “identify when a person with Parkinson’s is ‘freezing.” Parkinson’s patients experience a phenomenon called “freezing.” As mentioned by Drs. Foster and Smith, freezing is when “their feet freeze in place while the rest of their body keeps moving, causing the person to fall. As a result, some people with Parkinson’s may tend to become sedentary, reluctant to move and reclusive.”

“If the dog touches the person’s foot, it breaks the freeze and the person can continue walking. Medical experts really do not know how or why this works. In addition to breaking the ‘freeze,’ the dogs are taught to prevent their partners from falling by counterbalancing and helping them regain their footing. If the person would fall, the dog can help the person up.”

                Now, from an economic standpoint, one would assume there would be a difference between the social classes when it comes to owning a pet. After searching the internet, I found that people in lower classes are less likely to put “owning a pet” as a priority.  Pets cost money! “Food bills, veterinary care, licenses, grooming costs, toys, bedding, boarding fees, and other maintenance expenses can mount up. If you’re unemployed or elderly, on a limited fixed income, it may be a struggle to cope with the expense of pet ownership.” All that, not to mention all of the time you have to spend taking care of the pet, all of the “accidents” the pets may make, and all the household items that dogs or cats may destroy. It’s understandable that people of the lower class would not want and extra mouth to feed.

However, between the middle and higher classes, both are equally likely to own a pet. Dogs and cats are especially popular. “According to the 2012 National Pet Owners Survey, the statistics of which were compiled from the American Pet Products Association, there are approximately 78.2 million dogs in the U.S. with 60% of the dog owning population owning one dog, 28% owning two and 12% owning three or more.” Same goes for cats, “of which there are approximately 86.4 million in the U.S. with 33% of the cat owning households owning at least one cat, 52 % owning more than one cat.”

“The key to aging well is to effectively handle life’s major changes, such as retirement, the loss of loved ones, and the physical changes of aging. Pets can play an important role in healthy aging by: helping you find meaning and joy in life, staying connected, and boosting vitality.” In adulthood, having a pet is further beneficial to your health because it keeps you sane in a constantly changing world. As life goes on, you may change career paths, retire, get married, get divorced, have children, and watch those children grow up and move away. A pet provides the unconditional love and companionship that an adult would crave. “Caring for a pet can bring pleasure and help boost your morale and optimism. Taking care of an animal can also provide a sense of self-worth.” Dogs are especially good for seniors. As seniors live on, speaking to other people gets harder. “Dogs are a great way for seniors to spark up conversations and meet new people.”

Overall, owning a pet does affect the general well-being of most owners. This is mentioned in all the articles mentioned above and especially in the article “The Health Benefits of Pets.” I explained the many reasons of why owning a pet leads to a happier life. “One of the reasons for these therapeutic effects is that most pets fulfill the basic human need to touch. Even hardened criminals in prison have shown long-term changes in their behavior after interacting with pets, many of them experiencing mutual affection for the first time.” Having a pet or spending time with a pet for a little bit each day is enough to benefit anyone. “The companionship of a pet can also ease loneliness, and some pets are a great stimulus for healthy exercise, which can substantially boost mood.”

Works Cited

Feature, L. (n.d.). 6 Ways Pets Can Improve Your Health. Retrieved November 10, 2014, from http://www.webmd.com/hypertension-high-blood-pressure/features/6-ways-pets-improve-your-health

Foster & Smith, D. (n.d.). Physical & Medical Health Benefits of Pets. Retrieved November 10, 2014, from http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=0&aid=638

Pets OutNumber Children Four to One. (n.d.). Retrieved November 10, 2014, from http://www.k-9superheroesdogwhispering.com/pets-outnumber-children-4-to-1/

Robinson, L., & Segal, J. (n.d.). The Health Benefits of Pets. Retrieved November 10, 2014, from http://www.helpguide.org/articles/emotional-health/the-health-benefits-of-pets.htm