The Wonders of Pet Ownership for Health

Pets play a significant role in our culture, and it’s truly wonderful considering the numerous health advantages that come with owning a pet. When you return home after a lengthy journey or a tiring day at work, being enthusiastically greeted by your pet at the door is an experience like no other. But that’s not all there is to it.

Science reveals that the benefits of having a pet extend far beyond this warm welcome. For example, did you know that the frequencies of a cat’s purr can induce healing? We’ll explore this in more detail later.

Health Benefits of Owning a Pet

Does having a pet contribute to your well-being? The answer is a resounding yes! And you don’t necessarily have to own a pet to enjoy the benefits.

For instance, the Brooklyn Cat Cafe in New York invites people to come, savor some delightful treats, and spend time with adoptable cats. Similarly, in Los Angeles, there was the Dog Cafe where people could relax with adoptable pups while having a snack. Now, there are numerous dog-friendly places to visit. On the small island of Lanai in Hawaii, there’s a cat sanctuary that attracts people from all over the world to cuddle with cats. Costa Rica is also home to a similar dog sanctuary with over 1,000 adoptable dogs at various life stages.

The time, effort, and love invested in both the cafes and sanctuaries showcase the immense value people place on animals. It’s truly invaluable.

Why are pets so beneficial? For pet owners and enthusiasts, it’s no surprise that having a pet is advantageous for health and overall well-being. Here are some of the benefits:

1. Social Interaction

Social interaction is one of the most evident health benefits of owning a pet. One of the underlying mechanisms for the positive impact of social and physical contact lies within the dopaminergic pathway in the brain. After interacting with an animal, such as petting or snuggling, there is a rise in neurotransmitters, specifically dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin, which creates a sense of euphoria.

A study conducted at the Veterans Administration Medical Center demonstrates another way animals influence social interaction. In the study, patients sat either in the presence or absence of a dog. The results indicated that social interaction among patients increased when dogs were present.

This interaction triggers a series of “feel good” neurotransmitters, enhancing the mood, pleasant emotions, and overall mental health of individuals.

2. Improved Mood

Interactions between humans and pets, whether through physical contact or visual stimulation, can create a positive, calming, and soothing environment. Physical contact with an animal, like petting or cuddling, activates touch receptors on the skin. These touch receptors then stimulate areas of the brain associated with reward centers and trigger a cascade of activities resulting in the release of various neurotransmitters.

Stimulation of the touch receptors also leads to an increase in oxytocin, the love hormone, and a decrease in cortisol levels, the stress hormone.

3. May Boost Heart Health

An increase in oxytocin is associated with stress reduction due to a decrease in anxiety and blood pressure. A study carried out at the University of Minnesota Stroke Institute in Minneapolis showed that pet owners, particularly cat owners, experienced a 30 percent reduction in the risk of heart attack or stroke.

The human-animal relationship has also been shown to lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels. The decrease in cortisol, cholesterol, and triglyceride levels, along with the increase in oxytocin, all contribute to improving an individual’s cardiovascular system and thereby reducing the risk of heart attack or stroke.

4. Mental Health Booster

Just seeing a pet can have profound positive effects. A study at Caltech revealed that individual brain cells responded when a person saw an animal but not when they saw another person, place, or object.

The cells that are activated upon visual stimulation are found in the amygdala, the region of the brain associated with emotion and fear. Since the cells respond to any type of animal, it’s believed that it might be a remnant of ancestral specialization that helps the brain respond quickly to danger.

In the past, the danger was often from animals. Now, these cells respond to the emotional response evoked by the animal, which is often more out of adoration than fear, once again activating the dopaminergic pathway. It’s the activation of this pathway through various interactions with animals that leads to an improvement in mood, a reduction in anxiety, better sleep, and an overall enhancement of mental health.

5. Anxiety Reducer

Several studies have shown a decrease in anxiety and an improvement in sleep due to interactions with animals. In one such study, 230 patients were referred to animal therapeutic sessions. Data was collected before and after the sessions, and the results indicated a significant reduction in anxiety following the session.

This study highlights the significant impact animals have in helping reduce anxiety during stressful times, although more research is needed to understand the underlying mechanism.

6. Better Sleep

Another study conducted by the Mayo Clinic revealed that 41 percent of people sleep better due to the presence of their pet in bed, while only 20 percent report sleep disturbances because of it.

This might be partly attributed to the feelings of safety, comfort, and the cozy atmosphere that the presence of animals creates. Improved sleep leads to a host of other health benefits, including warding off illness, enhanced memory, efficient mental processes, reduced stress, and an improved mood.

7. Greater Relaxation

While the effects that cats and dogs have on humans share many similarities, cats have a crucial difference that gives them an advantage and makes them potentially more beneficial to humans than dogs. Cats purr.

Cat purring occurs during both inhalation and exhalation in a consistent pattern and frequency between 25 and 150 Hz.

Not only does the purring soothe, calm, and lull people to sleep with its rhythmic pattern and vibrations, but it has also been shown to occur at frequencies commonly used in therapies for healing the human body. Studies have shown that therapeutic vibrations can assist in bone growth, fracture healing, pain relief, swelling reduction, wound healing, muscle growth/repair, and increased joint mobility at frequencies between 25–150 Hz.

Beyond healing injuries, the vibrations caused by a cat’s purr can lead to changes in brain activity.

A noninvasive study was conducted to measure the neurological response to high-frequency sound and vibration (16). An electroencephalography test showed increased neuronal activity within the occipital region (visual perception) during high-frequency stimulation, along with increased cerebral flow within the brain stem (a region crucial for regulating the central nervous system, cardiac function, breathing, heart, and the left thalamus that regulates consciousness).

Purring is often compared to rhythmic chanting, which is used in different cultures to aid in the healing process or to create a meditative or calm state. Rhythmic sounds, such as chanting or purring, cause a phenomenon known as brainwave entrainment.

Brainwave entrainment is a process in which an individual’s brainwave frequency becomes synchronized with a periodic stimulus (vibration, sound, light). The vibration and sound of a cat’s purr can lull a person into a relaxed state.

One study demonstrated the effects of natural sounds on individuals. Individuals were exposed to sounds found in nature, and cardiac monitoring along with imaging techniques was used to determine brain activity during tasks following noise exposure.

The results showed that natural sounds, such as those made by a cat, were associated with a decrease in the sympathetic response (the fight or flight response to a situation) and an increase in the parasympathetic response. The parasympathetic response is responsible for the body’s ability to relax. Therefore, it can be deduced that the vibration and sound of a cat’s purr have the ability to aid in healing and induce relaxation in humans.

Despite the differences, pet owners benefit from the interactions they have with their pets and with other individuals because of their pets. Interactions with both animals and humans result in the release of the neurotransmitters dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin in the brain. The release of these neurotransmitters activates the dopaminergic “reward” pathway in the brain, creating a feeling of happiness.

The increase in oxytocin, the love hormone, leads to a decrease in the stress hormone cortisol. The combined effect of all this is an improvement in mood, better sleep, a reduction in blood pressure, and a more relaxed feeling.

All pets are valuable and have a similar beneficial, symbiotic relationship with humans… except for cats, whose purr sets them apart. The purr of a cat has also been compared to rhythmic chanting and has the ability to relax someone to a state similar to post-meditation. The rhythm and vibration of the purr, much like chanting and even music, can have a brainwave entrainment effect.

There’s an additional benefit of potentially increasing physical activity when you have a pet, such as walking a dog or playing with a cat. This can encourage people to be more active instead of remaining sedentary throughout the day.

Even with all this knowledge, more research is necessary to fully understand how animals – and especially the purr of cats – affect the central nervous system. With this understanding, therapies could develop in conjunction with conventional medicine to assist individuals with certain mental health issues and the elderly.

Final Thoughts

• The health benefits of owning a pet encompass improving social interaction and mental health, as well as reducing the risk of heart attack or stroke.
• The health benefits of both dogs and cats are documented in the literature, but cats seem to have an edge due to the healing frequency of their purrs.
• Other health benefits of having a pet include lowering cortisol levels and the fight or flight response, reducing anxiety and depression, and more.