SIX RANDOM FACTS
ABOUT PETS AND
YOUR HEALTH
By Chelsea Stangor

PETS ARE NATURAL MOOD
ENHANCERS


It takes about 15 to 30 minutes with a dog, a cat or just watching a fish swim to feel less anxious and less stressed. Your body actually goes through physical changes in that length of time, making a measurable difference in your mood. The level of cortisol, a hormone associated with stress, is lowered. And the production of serotonin, an important chemical associated with well-being, is increased. PETS HELP KEEP BLOOD PRESSURE IN
CHECK


In one study of 240 married couples, pet owners had lower blood pressure and lower heart rates during rest than people who did not own a pet. That held true whether they were at rest or undergoing stress tests. And another study showed that children with hypertension actually lowered their blood pressure while petting their dog.

CATS AND ASTHMA PREVENTION

Pet allergies are one of the most common triggers of asthma, but researchers have studied the effects of having cats in the homes of infants at risk for asthma. What they found was that those children were significantly less likely to develop asthma as they got older. There is one exception. Children whose mothers have a cat allergy are three times more likely to develop asthma after early exposure to cats.

DOGS AND CATS KEEP YOUR HEART
HEALTHY


Over the 20 years of one study, people who never owned a cat were 40% more likely to die of a heart attack than those who had.
Another study showed that dog owners had a significantly better survival rate one year after a heart attack. Overall, pet owners have a lower risk of dying from