Do you have a dog, cat, horse, or even a fish? You probably know the reasons that you love your pet, but do you know that they also contribute to your health and well-being?
I am thankful to a friend who sent this article from a healthy living magazine. I am seeing trained dogs kept to warn the owner in advance of an epileptic seizure or heart problems, as well as other animal therapy clinics opened to help with human problems. They really do more for us than we realize! Enjoy reading this article and send us a quick note to let us know what kind of pet you have!
Healthy Benefits of Pet Ownership
By Dr. Elizabeth Fowler
People have owned pets for thousands of years. Animals play many roles in our lives. For many of us, pets are family members. Some of our furry friends also have jobs within our homes. Guide dogs for the blind have a very special bond with their owners. Some pets provide security for homes or businesses.
It is clear that many pets respect and reciprocate this bond with us. Aside from the wagging tail or purring that greets many of us, there are also stories of heroic rescues by family pets. We’ve all ready or heard tales of a dog saving a drowning child or a cat waking a family to save them from a fire.
Here are some of the amazing things that they do for us:
- Spending 30 minutes with a dog triggers the release of chemicals in your brain that are linked to happiness.
- Spending just 5 minutes with a dog lowers the level of cortisol in your blood stream, which is a hormone linked to stress.
- Pet owners are less lonely and have a higher morale than non-owners. This may be because cuddling with a pet release oxytocin, a hormone associated with love, trust and empathy.
- Watching fish swim in an aquarium or stroking a cat or dog can lower your heart rate and blood pressure. Pet owners also tend to have lower cholesterol levels.
- One study has shown that cat owners are less likely to die from heart disease than people who don’t own cats. Another study showed that dog owners are nine times more likely to survive one year after a heart attack than those without dogs.
- For children, owning pets can help them to develop empathy and respect for other living creatures. It also gives them an outlet to “talk” to someone about their feelings. Pets help children to develop better non-verbal communication and have proven to be very beneficial to improving social interactions of children with autism.
History shows that even if animals were originally in the home for a working purpose, strong emotional bonds developed between them and the members of the household. The unconditional love between human and animal often gives a sense of well-being to people that enhances their lives every day. When we bring a pet into our family we have a responsibility to them to provide them with as happy and healthy a life as we can. In return, they will provide us benefits we may not even realize we are receiving.
From: Page 50, Healthy Living Made Simple / Sam’s Club
If you enjoyed these facts, you will like another similar article by Dr. Elizabeth Fowler and another article from Healthy Living Made Simple.
Pets provide real health benefits. Medical research has documented many positive benefits from cats, dogs, and even fish have on our well-being.
For more information, check out chapter 14, Animal Care, of the 6th Edition of the Essential Oils Desk Reference.
Aren’t you glad that Young Living has the most of the answers for your pet health? Take time to read the Essential Oil Desk reference for gut health, bone health, respiratory health and general tips. If you do not own an EO desk reference book, please contact us if you want to save on shipping and handling.
I was actually quite fascinated at how well the YL oils and supplements work on animals of all sizes at one of the workshops we attended at the 2016 Convention. Even if you don’t own pets, please pass on the info to those who do.
