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Pets have recently made headlines for their ability to identify and save people from life-threatening illnesses and also soothe suffering patients. A summer 2007 20/20 segment, “The Doggie Will See You Now,” featured several dogs’ unique ability to sniff out prostate and breast cancers. Oscar the cat garnered publicity in July for making rounds at the Steere House Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Providence, R.I. by offering comfort to patients in their final hours. Long-term scientific research supports anecdotal evidence, that pets are loyal companions who promote healing and lower stress.
Social psychologist Karen Allen, Ph.D., a research associate professor at the School of Medicine at the State University of New York in Buffalo, started researching the effects of pets on human stress levels when she noticed her own pulse rate diminished in the presence of her St. Bernard, “especially if I was upset about something (or responding to a silly horror movie, etc.),” she writes. “First my colleagues and I decided to explore if the support of human friends would have an effect different from that of canine friends, and indeed it did. Then we designed future studies to look at married couples, elderly people and stockbrokers.”
Allen’s 1999 study compared two groups of hypertensive stockbrokers, one receiving medication and the other receiving medication and a pet. Results showed that when under stress, the medication-only group had twice the stress response as those with pets. Following the study, many stockbrokers from the medication-only group acquired their own dog or cat.
Is there an overall difference between a cat and dog on an owner’s health? Cats and dogs provide equal benefits for stress reduction but there can be differences in terms of patient recovery. “It has been found, however, by [researcher] Erika Friedmann and her colleagues that dog ownership (relative to other pet ownership) is about five times better for patients after they have had a heart attack. The exercise factor [of walking or playing with a dog] is clearly important here,” explains Allen, who is currently researching the effect pet dogs have on women with arthritis.
Pets’ influence on recovery has also been studied abroad, with far-reaching implications for incurable diseases as well. A 2001 University of Warwick, Coventry (UK) study of breast cancer survivors found that having a pet eases stress, including worries related to body image and treatment. Besides the tactile comfort of caressing a pet, the human-animal bond was special because “unlike many human relationships, its remains unaffected despite the presence of a serious illness, which may threaten fear and disfigurement.”
Even those who are healthy can benefit from having a pet—especially as we age. The U.S. Census reports that as of July 2005, the estimated number of baby boomers reached 78.2 million; in 2006 the oldest boomers turned 60. As boomers grow older, pets may combat the loneliness, boredom and stress that often accompany aging. In 1990, at Chicago’s Kennedy-King College, a study of 128 seniors examined the value of pets and aging. Seventy-five percent of men and 67 percent of women stated that they considered their dogs their “only friend” and that they provided an emotional bond, companionship, usefulness and loyalty. Subjects characterized their canine bonds to be as strong as their closest human friendships.
Benefits aside, don’t be quick to surprise Grandma with a furry friend. Allen warns that “not everyone bonds with animals, and there are even some that dislike them.”
If you are an animal lover, keep in mind that nothing lowers stress like saving a life! If you would like a pet, go to www.petfinder.com, a site that consolidates information from over 10,000 adoption groups nationwide to find homes for loving, beautiful animals.
Galia Ozari is the proud mama of rescue cat Lilah who has, indeed, lowered her stress levels.
