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Recently, a 2008 survey by the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association, estimated that 63 percent of American households includes pets. Over the past 20 years scientists have put more emphasis on studying the effects of animals on human behavior. As our society is becoming increasingly health conscious, through their studies, scientists are becoming aware that people who routinely interact with animals seem to be in better overall health than people who don't interact with animals.

Animals have the ability to touch our hearts just by being who they are. Unmotivated, purely out of love, loyalty and a desire to please, animals always seem to be there after a long day, when it seems like the entire world is against us. They never ask questions or judge us but just sit faithfully by our sides through the hardest moments of our lives, never asking for anything in return but our love.

Owning a pet is an added responsibility but one that we humans don't seem to mind. Owning a pet helps us to feel less lonely, as we have something to talk to. And a pet is totally dependent on its owner. Human beings thrive when we are put in a nurturing position. Feeling needed and feeling loved are two necessities for a human's mental health.

Animals have a calming effect on humans. Whether it is fish, hamsters or dogs, spending time watching animals or touching animals provides positive mental stimulation and decreases a pet owner's heart rate. It is scientifically proven that a person who has an even temperament versus a highly excitable person has less of a chance of developing heart disease, and dying from a heart attack or stroke. Pets also encourage laughter in their owners. Some studies have even gone so far as to suggest that people who own pets are viewed as "nicer" than those who don't.

Another way that animals have a positive impact on our mood is by providing us with much needed exercise. It has long been known that people who exercise typically are in better overall health, than those who don't. Walking our dogs, or bird watching and taking nature walks, provides us with the exercise we need to stay in optimal physical and mental health.

In the past few years hospitals have started using dogs and cats as service animals to visit ill patients in hospitals. Patients look forward to animal visits and it is proven that patients who are visited by animals during their hospitalization recover faster than patients who don't receive animal visits. At home, our pets have a way of knowing when we are sick. This is especially true with dogs, as they are pack animals. Pets become aware of normal household routines and seem to understand when a member of their "pack" is acting differently. Some pets will give their owners more attention during this time, thus quickening recovery time in an ill pet owner.

Most pet owners own their pets unaware of the positive health benefits of pet ownership. However of those who do understand the health benefits of pet ownership most would agree that any health benefits that they receive from owning a pet, is secondary to the love, laughter and joy that their best friends give them each and every day.

Learn more about this author, Denise Calaman.
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