For most of us, owning a pet is a very rewarding experience. We love our pets and they bring us great joy. Why is this especially true of seniors, and does having a pet help them to live longer?

Many studies have been done to prove that pets can help seniors live more rewarding, enjoyable lives in their retirement years. Scientists have proven that animals affect human emotions and physiology in complex ways, ways that significantly benefit health. Studies have demonstrated that seniors who have pets typically have better physical health and mental well-being. They tend to be more active and be able to cope better with stress. In 1997 a study was done that proved elderly pet owners had significantly lower blood pressure than others without pets.

The explanations for these health benefits are understandable. Seniors who own pets have something to care for. It takes a certain amount of activity to walk, feed, water and groom their pets. Pets want to cuddle and be played with. The physical activity involved in taking care of their pets (even if it is just getting up to let their dog out) can benefit the cardiovascular system. The activity also contributes to keeping joints limber and flexible. Also cuddling and interacting with the pet helps reduce blood pressure and heart rate thereby contributing to a healthier heart. There is an increased state of relaxation—stroking a pet can have an anti-hypertensive effect.

Pets help reduce loneliness also. Many seniors have lost their spouse or another loved one. Pets can help seniors deal with the emotional struggle they may suffer from and act as a support system for them. Pets can give seniors a new object for their affections.

Pets help seniors cope with social isolation too, forcing them to interact with another living being. This also helps thwart depression. The pets help them keep their mind off of their own problems. Seniors can focus on the care and love they give to their pet.

Pets give seniors a purpose in life, while it may seem that their life is over. Seniors have a job to do in caring for the pet. It gives them a reason to go out to get food for the animal and do other regular chores, such as changing the cat litter. It helps seniors to maintain a regular routine (the pet needs to be fed at a certain time) and keep them interested in life. It also gives them a sense of self-worth in caring for their beloved pet.

Having a pet can also relieve anxiety for seniors in the face of safety issues. If a senior hears a noise, the noise could be attributed to the cat, thereby relieving the stress of living alone. Also owning a dog could provide the senior with a certain amount of safety. A barking dog can certainly help keep unwanted visitors away. This increases the senior’s self-reliance in being able to maintain living on their own.

And last, but certainly an important issue: owning a pet can also add some laughter into a senior’s life. We all know that pets do funny things and can be very amusing. They make us all laugh and improve our moral. And isn’t laughter the best medicine?

Love, laughter, decreased loneliness and depression, an added purpose in life, not to mention the increase of physical activity in seniors, all prove that pets can be beneficial to a senior’s health. Whether it be a little bundle of fur or a bit of feathers, pets should be considered a very good thing to help them live the senior years to the fullest.