Sure, furry friends are nice to have around, but the benefits of owning a pet may go beyond companionship.
Since the 1980s, studies have linked dogs and cats to health benefits such as higher survival rates after illness, fewer visits to the doctor, and better physical and psychological well-being in the elderly. Cat owners, for example, may be less likely to die from a heart attack or stroke, according to a study presented at the 2008 American Stroke Association Annual Meeting. (Read more about the health benefits of dogs versus cats.)
Not all researchers agree on the relationship between pet ownership and health, but animal lovers don’t need much convincing. Thousands of pet-praising blogs (which include ones “written” by the pets themselves, as CNN has reported) permeate the Web. Even January Payne, a medical reporter for U.S. News & World Report, has blogged about her poodle’s impact on her health.
Although most pets aren’t dragging little boys out of wells, they are involved in saving lives. Seizure dogs provide an alarm system for epilepsy patients, and diabetic alert dogs are trained to identify the scent changes that accompany hypoglycemia. Research has even shown that dogs may be able to smell melanoma and other types of cancer.
If you’re still not convinced, view our slideshow of eight pets that helped their owners heal.
If your pet helped you get healthy, please email us your stories and pet pictures.
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Comments (23)
Having 2 dogs gets me out walking even when I am feeling tired and lazy. They love getting outside and I don’t want to let them down. As a result, I benefit from the walking too.
I have a cat who is really, as I call her “my little nurse”. I am now suffering with bone and liver cancer, and she is by me all the time. She yaps at me when I am on the computer too much, almost like saying, we need to rest in the recliner. I treat her like a queen with everything. I don’t know what I would do without her. Oh by the way, her name is Elvis.
Six years ago,I got a young pup,(August 02).At the end of Jan.03 I found I neede heart surgery….My puppy helped me heal alot faster than if I had not had him.
Every time he gives me kisses ,I call them ,”VITAMIN KISSES”
When I am upset, sad, or even angry, my Cat attempts to comfort/cheer up/calm me. When upset, my cat tends to be overly affectionate. When sad, my cat usually turns on the purr or begins to act silly. When angry, my cat demands attention and begin meowing. They are mood sensors, and they learn how to handle their owners.
I HAVE 3 CATS,,ONE ESPECIALLY KEEPS ME GOING, HE FOLLOWS ME TO EVERY ROOM,,,,WAITS TILL I AM FINISHED WITH WHAT I AM DOING,LIKE WHEN I AM ON THE COMPUTOR,,,HE’S WITH ME TILLI FINISH,SOMETIMES,HE SAYS ENOUGH,AND RUNS JUMPS ON THE BED MAKING A SOUND THAT HE WANTS TO PLAY,HE LIKES FOR ME TO CHASE HIM ETC….. WE BONDED MORE THAN MY OTHER TWO,,I WAS HOME SICK FOR OVER A YEAR WHEN WE FIRST GOT HIM AS A KITTEN……I KNOW PETS DO HELP US,LOVE US…AS I LOVE THEM…..
Our 14 year old female cat is so patient… waiting and purring for me to get out of bed, off the computer, off the couch. She also waits til each of us gets out of the shower, jumps in afterward, and licks the water remaining on the tub floor - like she’s licking up the ‘essence’ of us! And, all bad moods end in a heart beat when she runs to great me at the front door each night!
at 19, bringing two cats to college when paying the whole way on your own and being an animal science major pretty much identifies you as, “the crazy cat lady.” but honestly, however harder it is to find housing that allows pets and people that will live with them, nobody realizes that, it’s not about being the crazy cat lady. it’s about having nonjudgmental companions who will always be your constant through the stress of college life. this college town is not my style, and my cats (they could be dogs and be the same <=defense of crazy cat lady id.) will always give me the breath to try another day.
… and if it weren’t for our first cat, and now our two lovable corgis, my mom would have committed suicide long ago. they need her, and when having two kids isn’t enough to coax her out, their little slobbery tongues and happy smiles are.
We have two Golden’s, Rocco & Jasper. They are brothers from different litters. I have had animals all my life, growing up on a farm. These guys are the best! I call them my buckets of love. When we swim in the pool so do they. We also have Louie, Grandma’s pup who is a Katrina rescued long-haired Chihuahua; but secretly Louie is just a miniature retriever. He’s in the pool fetching toys too or racing around on the cool deck. Then there is Kona who belongs to our son, and is a rescued female Red Dobie, who doesn’t like water but never misses the opportunity to chase a ball thrown from the pool into the yard. All dogs are welcome and part of the family when we get together and they get a long fine, big and small. Add to our life? NO QUESTION here. Unconditional love is always welcome here. Animals are great teachers. Blessings to all.
This may sound improbable, but my cat really truly saved my life. He is a four-year-old, shelter-adopted, big-boned, constantly-shedding drama-king who loved being around people and always wants to be held. I don’t allow him in my bedroom to decrease my exposure to his dander since I’m technically allergic to cats. Two years ago I was diagnosed with metastatic cervical cancer and the radiation treatment left me sicker than ever and basically destroyed my intestines. I’ve been forced to take nutrition through a permanent iv line in my shoulder for the past year-and-a-half. The TPN (total parenteral nutrition) goes in over night while I’m sleeping so that it doesn’t overly disrupt my daily living. The pump beeps in the early morning and I disconnect the iv line, flush the port with saline, and then infuse it with heparin to prevent clotting and clip the line closed. Last winter I did this routine, but apparently didn’t get the line completely clipped off. I awoke to my cat slamming himself against the door and screeching at the top of his voice repeatedly. As I got up to see what was happening, I looked down and realized I had bled out what the home health nurse estimated was about 2 pints of blood. If he hadn’t woken me up, I could have just died in my sleep. I’ve now put a double-check alarm into my routine that goes off 10 minutes after my TPN finishes, and my mom, who HATES cats, got mine a new kitty-condo. Just to mention, after my first few surgeries, he always gingerly came over and sat on my lap and purred on my stomach, like a living heating pad. And for the three months of daily radiation treatments, he always laid at the foot of my bed (the door had to be open back then in case I needed help) and wouldn’t leave my side when I was vomitting or doubled-up in pain.
I have had dogs all my life, even in NYC. I can’t imagine living without them. I was widowed 11 years ago, and the rescue dogs I had at the time were my soul mates. Presently, I have two Papillons–one an 8 month old male, and the other a 2 year old female. Naturally she rules the roost although she came into the household second. My 11 year old Maltese died in my arms a few weeks ago. I knew the Pap puppy would need a playmate and was lucky enough to find one. I’m in my late 60’s and it doesn’t look like I’ll have another two-legged companion. And anyway the four legged ones love you unconditionally, and absolutely thrilled when you come home, and can’t believe they are lucky enough to live with you! If you happen to have a “pit-party” they lick the tears from you face, and make you feel silly for crying!
We have 3 cats, Calypso, Nicademas and Fluffy (Fluffy came to us pre-named). All 3 are rescues of one sort or another. Calypso and I bonded strongly when she was a kitten who needed bottle feeding for the first 4 weeks we had her. She knows my moods, knows when I am sick (I have SLE), and knows what it takes to manage my health and my life. I can’t forget to take my medications because she stands in front of the counter every morning and yaps at me until I take them. My children (all teen-agers) don’t stay in trouble for long. The rule in our house is that when they need an “attitude adjustment,” they go to their rooms until I “can behave like a human again.” Calypso immediately crys for me to pick her up, then purrs and grooms my hair until I calm down. As soon as I do, the kids can come out of their rooms and we can talk about what their issue was and we are going to handle it. Fluffy can’t let anyone be unhappy. She will leap into the lap of anyone not in a good mood and lick them, purring, until they are in a better mood. Nicademas is the jokster of the bunch, but he is also the one who lets us know when it is time to shut down the house for the night and for everyone to get some rest. “Nicki” also runs to the door yelling “me, me” when I come home and call out “who’s home?” All they have ever asked in return is catnip, pets and the occasional kitty treat. My husband came into the family with Fluffy and Calypso already members. He was allergic to cats, sneezing, red eyes, itchy skin and all. A year later and he no longer needed the allergy medications to be around them, or any other cat, which we discovered when he brought Nicademas home. Our cats are “our furry, four-footed children.” There will always be a place in our home for these wonderful people.
I am a true cat lady-lover! I now have 10 kittys! Love each one, as they each have a unique personality. I have been in 4 car wrecks and 2 major surgeries, and MY cats are my best friends, confidants, console me when I am in pain, sad or even a bit depressed. They read my mood, and “try” to cheer me up with a purr and lots of love. I would not be without them! As ALL animals have a special place with me and research shows they are healers in their own rite! We can learn much from the love of animals! Get ya one and experience the love for yourself!
I have suffered from depression for many years. I got a puppy about 8 months ago and it has absolutely changed my life. He has helped my depression so much. I can’t wait to get off work and go home and play with him. I would recommend a pet to anyone who is lonely or suffers from depression. Pets can definately liven up your mood.
After my mastectomy, my 16 year old cat would insist on lying on the affected breast.She had never been the snuggly type; but when I needed her, she became my “healing cat”. My rowdy dogs even acted like gentlemen.Having to feed and care for them kept me going and definitely helped me mend faster.
My cat Jessy is truely remarkable. She saved my fathers life many times. He is a brittle diabetic.
I found her once lying on his naked body coming home from work . I called an ambulance and an ER nurse told me her warmth was keeping him alive. He told us when he regained consciousness that the last thing he remembered was getting out of the shower and feeling weak. His body temperature was in the 80’s.
Other times jessy would wake me or meow signal to check him when his sugar would drop.
Gpd bless all of you for sharing your stories. I’ve enjoyed each and every one.
Unconditional love and they never care what you look like. My beagle Oliver is right next to me on the couch as I type this. He’s my baby. We spoil each other. He makes me laugh. I just wish I knew how he knows just when I need to laugh at life.
My first beagle, Sy, wouldn’t leave my side after an emergency appendectimy and later a stint on crutches with a broken bone. I lost him to cancer in 2001 and still miss my Sy puppy!
I HAD SURGERY A YEAR AGO AND MY DOG WAS RIGHT THERE BY MY SIDE AS I WAS HEALING. HE HELPED ME HEAL JUST BY LYING RIGHT BY MY BED. EVERYTIME I WOULD GET UP TO GO TO THE BATHROOM HE WOULD KISS MY LEGS. HE KNEW NOT TO JUMP UP ON ME, BECAUSE I WAS IN ALOT OF PAIN. I LOVE MY DOG FOR THAT.
I just loved all the stories and pictures of these loving pets who mean so much to their owners. Each one made me smile. No matter how big or small, they are angels among us and so very important to our well-being and happiness. Thank you for the insight into the mystery of pets and their healing abilities.
I have had over 13 surgeries as a child/young adult. I had a cat that was alive when I had 8 of those surgeries. Once I got home from the hospital, that cat sat vigil on my bed for days, only leaving to drink water and use the litter box. I don’t think he even ate very much during those times. My cat provided me with far more comfort & encouragement than any human!
About two years ago I was suffering from depression and anxiety,and a family member brought me a dog and I discover the beautiful relationship that a person can build with a pet. Growing up I always have pets in my parents house but they were not mine. Since I start bonding with my dog I got a reduction in the amount of medicine intake, and after a couple months I get out of medication. My anxiety attacks got really mild until I do not suffer from that anymore. I am sure I will not make it without the loving companionship of my dog called Rockyto.
I loved reading the stories and seeing the pets and their loving companions. My sheltie isn’t a cuddler (I think it’s a breed characteristic and also they get too hot), but after my lumpectomy, she spent the whole night snuggled between me and the wall next to the bed. It was wonderful and healing!
Having four of the best “kids” (my papillons) in the world makes getting up every day a joy. If not for them I don’t know what I would do. My first pap, named WeeWee because he fit in the pocket of my tshirt when I first got him was there for me when my mom passed away and I didn’t know how I could manage my day to day life. My mom was everything to me, and Wee helped me thru a lot of dark times. Unfortunately, WeeWee passed when he was 16 and that was so hard for me. I now have 4 other papillons, not that I replaced Wee, but I had to have a furry little “kid” in my life. My “kids” make me want to come home from work and do for them. If not for them my life would be sooooooooo empty. They love unconditionally, and are ALWAYS so happy to see me. They are so forgiving and love me even when I don’t feel very loveable. My four “kids” now are Dalton, who just turned 16 and is named after Patrick Swayzes character in the movie Roadhouse cuz I love Ps, Niki. my friendly,happy, loves everybody girl is 7 and was acquired as a friend for Dalton after his buddy WeeWee passed, and then I have my two pups from Dalton and Niki….an accident I blame on my husband becuz he wasn’t watching them when Niki had her first heat…….Bubba, who I had to give CPR to after she was born and wasn’t breathing, who has the strangest personality and is wonderful inspite of herself, and then my baby boy Jack……..he is petite and so protective of me my husband can’t even enter the room without a reprimand from Jack to stay away from me. Jack has a wonderful loving personality
and altho four dogs is a lot to handle some days I wouldn’t trade them for anything. They are spoiled tho, won’t eat dog food so I have to cook for them. They get liver/rice or chicken/rice, pork/rice….and once in a while some dog food, but only Cesars……which is very expensive and one of the reasons I cook. I think its one of the reasons Dalton is 16 and still runs around like a puppy. The vet told me she never would have guessed he was that old because of how he acts, so I must be doing something right. Well, as you can tell I love my “kids” and could go on and on forever. Hope you all have great days and memories with your furry children…..and I hope I have many, many more with mine.