FITTER, CALMER AND HEALTHIER – ARE PETS THE SECRET TO LONGEVITY?

If you live in one of Australia’s 5.9 million pet households, you’ll already know how much affection, humour and joy animals can offer. What beats coming home to the slobbery welcome of a tail-wagging woofie or snuggling up with a softly purring puss after a stressful day?

The unconditional love pets provide their human companions not only makes us feel good, it’s also physically beneficial. Numerous studies have shown that keeping pets – especially dogs and cats – improves cardiovascular fitness, could help control cholesterol and blood pressure, and reduces stress, loneliness and depression.

Even taking other people’s pets out can do you good. Dog walkers, for example, can improve their overall fitness and stamina due to regular exercise, and are perceived by others as friendly and approachable.

American veterinarian Marty Becker, author of The Healing Power of Pets, says animals play a very important role in the function of our immune systems. “Pets spend much of their time outside and bring all sorts of germs into the home, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing,” he says. “These germs help to boost our immunity, which will then help prevent colds and other mild illnesses.”

But there’s more. Just petting your dog or cat reduces the physiological indicators of stress, including high blood pressure. “When you stroke your pet, which is something that comes naturally when they’re sitting on your lap, within a few seconds you get a release of positive biochemicals like oxytocin, prolactin and serotonin,” Becker says. “We now know that pets help reduce cardiovascular incidents and strokes. Both physically and emotionally, they are live-in life-support systems cleverly disguised as animals.”

Increasingly, medicine is recognising the bond between pets and people as a powerful weapon in fighting disease and treating chronic conditions. In fact, in one survey, almost three in four doctors said they would prescribe pets for their patients’ health.

Besotted cat people will quickly tell you that their pet’s purring helps calm them if they’re feeling stressed or in pain. While we still don’t know much about why cats purr, the frequency at which they purr – between 25 and 150 hertz – can improve bone density and promote tissue regeneration.

Another study, from the State University of New York, found that people were less stressed when performing a task in the company of their pet than when a spouse, family member or friend was close by.

That may help explain why National Take Your Dog to Work Day, which debuted in 1996 (it will be held on June 25 in Australia this year), is reported to be good for productivity, good for morale and good for the bottom line.

Other studies have found that pet owners are less fearful than those who don’t have pets, suggesting that these animals – especially dogs – help build self-esteem and confidence in children.

Perhaps animal communicator Trish McCagh sums it up perfectly when she says, “Animals are the bridge between us and the beauty of all that is natural. They show us what’s missing in our lives, and how to love ourselves more completely and unconditionally. They connect us back to who we are, and to the purpose of why we’re here.”