Adopt a Pet for Your Household

Having a pet can be really good for you in many other ways than you may think. Research has increasingly indicated that owning pets can have several health advantages for individuals of all ages. This is why many households in U.S. have pets today. More importantly, medical practitioners also understand the positive effect of pets on human health and increasingly encourage pet adoption for pet assisted therapy.

Pet Therapy

There have been several studies which indicate that the use of pets in the therapy of some patients can turn out to be very beneficial. According to some of the major research papers, the following are some benefits of animal therapy:
1. In long-stay nursing homes for psychiatric population, the use of pets can increase social interactivity of patients. This increases their chances of recreational as well as physical therapy.

2. For patients suffering from dementia or Alzheimer’s, pets can be helpful in controlling their anxiety and agitation while increasing social interactivity.

3. For patients of HIV/AIDS, pets can be helpful in preventing depression and loneliness as they are seen as supportive relationships.

The Health Benefits of Owning a Pet

Apart from the benefits that doctors wish to gain from animal therapy, there are other noticeable reasons why having a pet is good for your health. Here are some of these benefits:

1. Children with pets are more resistant to allergies and tend to have a stronger immune system. Infants who live with pets have almost 33% lesser chances of developing pet and other skin allergies.

2. Patients with heart problems are known to survive longer if they have a pet. Pets are known to lower the blood pressure and keep cholesterol levels low by increasing physical activity. Cats can reduce the risk of fatal heart attacks by 40%.

3. People over 65 years of age can reduce their visits to doctor by almost 30% by owning a pet to care for.

Adopting a Pet – How and Where

If you have finally decided to adopt a pet for your household, you first need to decide whether you want a cat, dog or any other pet. If you are looking for specific health benefits, you should first find out which type of pet will be more beneficial for you. Next, you need to decide what breed you are going to buy. If you are planning to buy a dog, you should conduct a search to find out about the type of care different breeds of dogs require and then make up your mind about what to get. If you can’t decide on one breed, decide on a few possible ones and leave the decision for when you visit the shelter.

You can adopt a pet either from a shelter house or a rescue group. The Internet is the best way to find both these in your area. You can search for listed pet shelters in your area on different sites and even find animals available with them online. Once you have found the pet you like, you can either adopt it online or you can visit the shelter. Once you’re done with the formalities and paperwork involved in adoption, you can bring your dear pet home and start bonding with it.