Pets have consistently proven to be humans’ best companions. A study by the University of Liverpool reveals, strong human-pet bonds, especially with dogs, provide emotional support that aids people suffering from mental health problems, including depression.
Post 2020 the pet industry is witnessing a growth at 22% per annum and aims to touch over 50% in 2026 in the post-pandemic era. In India, dogs and cats are cherished companions, rendering numerous invaluable benefits.
Reduction in stress and anxiety
Considering that 74% of Indians suffer from stress and 88% from anxiety, therapy pets are fast gaining traction. This is because physical interaction in the form of petting and playing raises levels of oxytocin, increasing feelings of relaxation. This has proven through various researches that a person owning a pet would have reduced levels of cortisol, a hormone causing stress and increased oxytocin, which promotes relaxation and reduces anxiety.
Having pets increases routine and responsibility, two aspects that are important in treating anxiety disorders. Pets provide companionship reducing feelings of loneliness and isolation. Walking a dog or playing around with it ensures physical activity and stimulation of endorphins enhancing an individual’s mental wellbeing.
Enhanced mood and happiness
Pets give out unconditional love and happiness to the owners. It has been proven that pet interaction stimulates the release of dopamine and the serotonin between the carriers of happiness and a good mood.
One research study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology found that pet owners tend to have greater self-esteem, are more physically fit and are less lonely than non-pet owners. Due to the playful demeanour of pets, it boosts self-esteem in households, bringing more joy and laughter.
Boost in self-esteem
Pet owners are comforted by pets’ emotional petting and companionship amidst high demanding work schedules and economic pressures. They offer one valuable support: emotional petting and companionship. Unconditional love and acceptance can raise one’s self-esteem and self-worth enhancement.
It has been observed that most pet owners express that their pets make them feel needed and valued by them which can positively enhance the self-esteem of owners. Many pet owners reportedly convey that taking care of a pet makes them feel useful and satisfied, especially when some parts of life do not go well.
Enhanced emotional stability
Coming into the house with a friendly pet will do very much for emotional stability. Pets offer unrelenting comfort and support that can be used for the resilience of coping in chronic stress and adversity.
The Human-Animal Bond Research Initiative (HABRI) is research-backed, whereby it is validated that pet ownership is allied to decreased rates of conditions like depression and anxiety, precisely because the pets can be grounding and affectionate. This emotional stability is thus what forms the cushion between the rough environmental conditions and mental well-being; it makes it hard to push an individual off-center or make a total derailment of a given mental state.
Combat isolation
In the rapidly urbanising Indian scenario, loneliness has become a modern concern, exacerbated by the experience of the recent pandemic. Pet ownership has emerged as a strong tool for social connection and to weaken loneliness among people.
The Pets and People (PaPs) Program at Monash University seeks to explore more of the benefits through animal-assisted activities within aged care settings and community programs. It promotes interactions of a like-minded group of individuals with shared responsibilities for pets, bringing forth the issue of loneliness within the promoted social well-being of a heterogeneous society.
As we delve deeper into this age-old symbiotic relationship between humans and animals, it becomes more prevalent that pets improve the quality and well-being of our lives. The companionship that we receive from them is meaningful and gives us a real sense of purpose in our lives. The unconditional love and acceptance that animals give us provide a form of support that is available all too rarely amongst humans.
But what we must understand well is that we as pet owners have an equally important role to play of providing. Providing their pets with love, time & timely healthcare. Creatures of love also must maintain the best of mental health and we as pet owners are responsible for that. Engaging them in mind stimulating games, good nutrition based on vet-recommended food plans, vet-recommended grooming products, wellness activities, regular playtime and more are some of the elements we must keep in mind for our pets & let them have access to it. We are everything they have, we must provide for all that can keep them happy, loved, healthy & free from anxieties. The most beautiful bond must be celebrated each day & be therapeutic for us and them.
(The author, Dr. Vinod Sharma, is the Head Veterinarian at DCC Animal Hospital.)
