The best feeling in the world is getting home after a hard day and having your dog run up to you, toy in mouth, tail wagging a mile a minute. Or maybe your cat climbs right up into your lap, purring almost immediately. Just a few minutes of petting them… or burying your face into their fur and slow breathing can recenter you and make everything feel okay.
Believe it or not, pets greatly improve our mental and physical health. And this doesn’t just mean cats and dogs. Any kind of pet can affect your overall well being. And we certainly, now more than ever, need something in our lives to help us feel more positive. The way that our pets inherently raise our spirits and improve our day is proof that we were meant to have pets in our lives. Our pets add so much value to our day to day. But what are they sneakily doing for our health?
How Our Pets Can Help Keep Us Healthy
They Force Us To Be Active
The thing is… even when you’re feeling low, your dog still needs to be walked, and your rat still needs his cage cleaned. The needs of our pets give us a routine, which is a good thing to have if you are feeling mentally exhausted. Pets that require exercise help force us to get up and get moving, even if it’s just a short walk around the yard. Exercise has been shown to help improve both physical and mental health. And even a small amount of this regular exercise can be beneficial to your overall well being.
They Provide Companionship
Being lonely can be such a weird feeling. Sometimes you just don’t want social interaction with other people, but you also don’t want to feel alone. Pets give us companionship without draining us socially. Your pet will listen to what you have to say, and you won’t feel judged. They understand when you just want to sit together in silence. Pets can really help keep loneliness at bay when things are feeling rough. Just the sweetest little lick from your pup can really do wonders!
Pets Help Lower Stress Levels
Our pets always seem to know when we’re at our breaking point. That’s when your dog comes over and puts his head on your knees, or your cat comes to sit on you, purring like a chainsaw. Pets are great at melting our stress away. Some of it is the companionship they provide, and some of it has to do with brain chemicals that are released by being in the presence of our pets. Pets reduce our stress levels, lower our blood pressure, and help reduce feelings of anxiety.
They Make Us Laugh
Laughter is important to our health, both mental and physical. When you have pets, it’s almost guaranteed that you will be laughing at least 3 times a day about something weird or silly your pet is doing. The goofy way your dog’s ear flips over his head, your fat cat making a jump and missing, just thinking about their shenanigans can put a smile on your face. Laughter relieves stress, boosts immunity, stimulates your heart and lungs, and can even relieve pain. Laughter gives us a boost of brain chemicals that can improve our mood and make things seem more positive.
They Give Us Someone To Nurture
Pets need us for companionship and comfort just like we need them. Meeting our pet's needs can make us feel needed and wanted when we might be feeling unappreciated. Filling our need to nurture can improve symptoms of depression. This can even be achieved by something as easy as feeding crickets to your gecko or helping untangle your silly cat from the blinds.
They Increase Our Self Confidence
Maybe it’s the way they love us unconditionally, but something about having pets improves our self-image. Knowing there is someone at home who thinks we’re the most awesome thing ever is a pretty good confidence booster. Interestingly, having pets also makes us seem more attractive and confident to other people.
They Can Help Us Improve Relationships
People with pets have an easier time maintaining relationships with other people. This may be the result of learning empathy from caring for our pets and learning to understand them. Understanding what an entirely different species is trying to communicate to you makes it much easier to understand and feel connected to other people. And of course, being able to maintain healthy relationships is a necessary part of maintaining mental health.
How Karen’s Pawsome Pet Care Can Help
It’s funny. We know that our pets reduce our stress levels, but at the same time, they can actually be one of our most common stressors. The stress isn’t because we don’t care, it’s because we care so much. Sometimes it can be hard to leave them. It might be because of their age, a puppy being potty trained, or an older dog that needs more frequent breaks. Maybe you’re going out of town, and you feel guilty about taking your pet to a kennel. Or your cat needs a pill in the middle of the day or suffers from separation anxiety.
Don’t let pet care add to your mental load. That’s where we can come in and lift some weight off of your shoulders. Karen’s Pawsome Pet Care offers potty breaks, walks, and companionship visits.
P.S. We aren’t limited to dogs and cats either. We can provide care for most animals! We will come and give potty breaks to your puppy, spend some time with your parakeet, and give your cat his pill. Our job is to make sure that your pet is happy, healthy, and safe.
We provide our services in North Phoenix, Scottsdale, and Paradise Valley. We know how precious your pet is to you. With Karen’s Pawsome Pet Care looking after your pet, you can stop stressing about your pet being alone and get back to enjoying every minute you get to spend with them.