As a cat parent, you are likely already familiar with all the meowgical effects your cat has on your emotional and physical health. But if this pandemic has taught us anything, it is that having a pet is even more beneficial and more fulfilling than we ever realized!
Most of our lives moved at a faster pace before the pandemic hit us. Suddenly, we found ourselves doing everything from home, hardly leaving the house, thus having just a little bit more time on our hands. While this may not be such a terrible thing for a short period of time, after a while, we are bound to start feeling “stuck” between the four walls of our home. Interestingly, it seems like pet parents may be handling the situation just a little bit better compared to people who do not have pets in their family. Why? Because their pet companions came to the rescue, of course!
It has been long accepted that having a pet can have multiple benefits for our emotional and physical health. A recent study confirms this belief and suggests that the human-animal bond can have a strong, positive impact on the quality of our lives, particularly during lockdowns. Furthermore, another study hypothesizes that animal ownership may play a role in reducing the feeling of loneliness during the lockdown, as well as have a positive impact on mental health.
But how does pet ownership actually benefit us? Here are several ideas on how your pet companion could be supporting you every day, making your life better with or without a lockdown in place.
1. Emotional support
Pets are our unconditional friends and the emotional bond we create with them can provide us with a level of love and support we might not be able to find elsewhere. This proves particularly important during the pandemic, especially if we consider that more than 68% of Americans are pet owners. If you have a pet to keep you company, you are much less likely to become lonely during the pandemic-enforced isolation. Furthermore, having a pet can also help with the stress or sadness we are bound to encounter from time to time in our everyday life. What could possibly be a better therapy than snuggling up with your pet after a long and stressful day?
2. Increased opportunity to socialize and exercise
Aside from the emotional benefits of having a bond with an animal, having a pet may also provide you with an increased chance to get moving. This is particularly true for dog owners. Having a dog will inevitably drag you out of the house for a stroll around the neighbourhood. In fact, research has shown that dog walking increases regular physical activity, which is beneficial both for humans and dogs, improving fitness, mental and overall health. During a pandemic, when our outdoor movements are heavily restricted, having a dog drag us out of the house for a walk might be more crucial and beneficial than ever before.
