Ways of Pets Can Improve Your Health

Pets are natural mood enhancers.It only takes 15 to 30 minutes with a dog or cat or watching fish swim to feel less anxious and less stressed. Your body actually goes through physical changes in that length of time that make a difference in your mood. The level of cortisol, a hormone associated with stress, is lowered. And the production of serotonin, an important chemical associated with well-being, is increased. Reducing stress saves your body a lot of wear and tear.
You still have to watch your weight and exercise. But having a pet can help you manage your blood pressure. In one study of 240 married couples, pet owners had lower blood pressure and lower heart rates during rest than people who did not own a pet.
To manage cholesterol, doctors still recommend that you follow guidelines regarding diet, exercise, and medication. But owning a pet has the potential of making it easier to avoid the dangers of cholesterol. Researchers have noted lower levels of cholesterol and triglycerides in people who own pets compared to people who don't. However, this could be attributed to lifestyle factors of pet owners.

Pets also carry a wide range of problems causing ill health. Allergies by cat owners. Diseases from ringworm to Leptosporosis, plague to brucellosis, tuberculosis to toxoplasmosis.

If I want to lower my stress levels, I have a myriad of alternative ways that do not involve cats. A walk on the beach is my favourite, and it adds healthy exercise as well as lowering stress.

I am a bit biased against cats and dogs, since I live at the edge of some gorgeous New Zealand rain forest, and there are a number of native birds that are slowly dying out, partly due to predation by domestic cats and dogs.