Pets do a lot of quiet work at home. Research and clinicians cited by the American Pet Products Association say they can help with physical activity, mental health, heart health and social connection.
Pet ownership is at an all-time high, with about 95 million US households, or 71.6 percent, having at least one pet, according to APPA statistics.
The health benefits linked to pet ownership are often called “the pet effect”.
On physical activity, John La Puma, a board-certified internist and author of Indoor Epidemic, said pets can motivate people to get outside for their own health.
“The bond between pet and owner is a powerful motivator to go outside intentionally for our own health when we might not want to do it ourselves,” Dr La Puma said.
He said going outside with a pet allows people to get “better quality, brighter light,” benefit from trees’ phytoncides, regulate the vagus nerve, and burn calories when walking at a regular pace.
Mental health is another area where pets may help. Jennifer Bronsnick, a licensed therapist at Pettable, said interaction with a pet can affect stress and bonding hormones.
“Interacting with a pet lowers cortisol, the body’s primary stress hormone, while simultaneously increasing oxytocin, the bonding chemical associated with feelings of safety, connection, and calm,” Bronsnick said.
Dr La Puma said pets also teach people to live in the present moment.
The source says pets can support mental health by reducing loneliness, improving mood and creating healthy routines. Bronsnick said pets offer “a steady, unconditional love and non-judgmental presence” that can help people feel less lonely. One study found that looking at pictures of a pet may boost mood.
The source also says caring for a pet requires a consistent daily routine, which can provide structure and improve mental and physical health.
For people with Alzheimer’s and dementia who live at home, having a pet “has been shown to have significant positive effects,” including supporting daily activity and slowing disease progression, the source says.
Pets may also help people connect with others. A 2015 study found pets can increase the likelihood of socialising, forming friendships and receiving social support.
Research cited in the source says infants who grow up in a home with a cat or dog may have protection from pet and pollen allergies, and that effect increased with more animals in the household.
Bronsnick said pet ownership may also support heart health. She cited an American Heart Association study that found having a pet can help lower blood pressure, reduce heart rate and decrease cardiovascular risk. The source says it can possibly boost longevity.
A 2022 study found that having a pet is associated with better cognitive and brain health in adults, especially dog owners. The source lists better story memory, better processing speed and younger “brain age” among those benefits.
Leslie de Graaf, founding therapist and owner of Tampa EMDR, said pets can also give people a stronger sense of purpose.
“[Pets] give us something to care for, which on the hardest days, can be the thing that keeps us going,” de Graaf said.
She said routine and consistency “can be incredibly grounding for someone whose mental health makes the basics feel hard”.
Bronsnick said, “They don’t care about your productivity, your appearance or whether you have everything figured out. They meet you exactly where you are, in the middle of a panic attack, during heartbreak or in the quiet ordinary moments that often go unseen by everyone else. That consistency is medicine.”
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