Companionship
“Until one has loved an animal, a part of one’s soul remains unawakened.” ~Anatole France
It’s been a busy week here at Best Home Care Services covering several interesting health related items and I will be touching upon them over the next couple of weeks but one of interest I would like to talk about briefly here today is the overwhelming benefits of pet ownership and companionship. There have multiple studies done over the years that have shown a variety of different benefits of owning a pet from physical wellbeing to emotional wellbeing. Some studies have covered the wellness of individuals while a cat was in the room, while a dog was in the room or while both were in the room and for the most part the studies have shown that it doesn’t really matter what the pet was present, the participant was effected in a positive manner by the mere presence of the animal.
The physical benefits to the owner of pets include lower blood pressure, a lower resting heart rate and lowered levels of stress. For children, pets have the ability to help kids who have high anxiety reduce the stresses of life and deal with different life events better. In my mind that alone is a reason enough to get a family pet. Kids today face enough stress from within families and from their peers that any help that a parent can give to help alleviate anxiety seems like a good idea. Pets also help children (as well as adults) develop social skills like empathy, the ability to interact with others and develop higher self-esteem all because they share their lives with a pet. For people who live alone or in situations where they are shut in for one reason or another, the pet/owner relationship and the interaction between the two help with mental acuity as well as physical agility and ability. For those who are dog owners, physical activity is increased as the owners usually take their dogs for walks at least a couple of times a day (some people have trained their cats to walk on a leash but I have never had much success in that vain attempt).
Pet ownership is a not something that should be a spur of the moment decision as being a pet owner is a commitment and a responsibility. While taking care of a pet is a great way to teach children about the level of responsibility it takes to care for a new “family” member, it takes an entire family commitment to make it a success. There are many different considerations to think about before jumping into the pool of pet ownership. One thing many people don’t consider when they first think about pet ownership is the financial commitment that it takes to be a responsible pet owner. Even if the pet is a free kitten or puppy from the nice little lady down the street, there are costs that will be involved. Things like pet food, health concerns (annual vet visits), micro-chips or local licenses, pet toys, and damages from the actions of the pet (chewed shoes, pillows, etc.), all these costs can add up quite quickly. The pet industry is an 18 billion dollar a year industry and growing. Other considerations to think about are what type of pet? Is it friendly with other animals and people? Is the pet you want considered a dangerous animal in your community (Pit Bull dogs have strong restrictions in some communities like the need for a six foot chain-link fence)? Where does one get a pet from? Shelters are usually full of animals who are in desperate need of a home and of course there are pet store but buyer beware, some places offer animals for puppy mills or kitten mills, places where the animals are breed in poor conditions and are sickly. The other option is fining a reputable breeder to purchase a pet from but this option can be quite expensive. The best option is to think the process through and give your search due diligence and you will find an animal that will make your heart sing with joy.
As a brief follow-up on the AHCA, the legislation to replace the Affordable Care Act is dead and I’m sure the GOP will try and come up with a different plan but for now the ACA (Obamacare) is the law of the land. As always, thanks for reading, I hope everyone great weekend. Take care of yourself and each other, remember, we’re all in this together.
Wm Reid
Best Home Care Services
325 N Eastern Ave
Connersville, IN 47331
765-827-9833
wmreid@bhcshealth.com