Ask anyone, young or old, if they think that their pets contribute to their well-being and you will get a resounding YES!  Well, it looks like science has finally caught up with what we have known all along.  Pets make us healthier, happier, more active, less lonely and stressed, have more friends, the list can go on and on.  What we don’t need science to tell us is that we love our pets and that they contribute to our well-being.

There have been numerous studies recently that tout the benefits of having a pet.  Historically, we have looked at the benefits for chronic pain to terminal illness.  The recent spate of studies shows that research is finally starting to see the benefits for all of us in all stages of life.  There was a recent feature in the Veterinary Record cites the benefit of pet ownership for many aspects of childhood development, as well as childhood autism.

There was a recent survey from American Pet Products Association which concluded that 68% of American households have a pet with most of these households considering the pet part of their family.

Alan Beck, director of the Center for the Human-Animal Bond at Purdue University’s College of Veterinary Medicine says the recent  research does not just address families or children, but that there are numerous benefits to retirees who have pets.  In a recent interview with USA Today, he listed a number of documented benefits.  From lowering blood pressure to forcing retirees to be social and exercise to companionship to someone to give your day focus, these are all benefits that come from pet ownership.  For retirees or others living alone, a pet becomes someone to talk to, to care for, to think about and someone to greet you when you come home.

And let’s face it, they are cute and cuddly.  Who doesn’t need more love in their lives?