The benefits of having an animal in the home are numerous, and those that do, know that just being around their furry family member can improve their mood and make them glad to be home after a long day. Why is this though? What is it about those sometimes crazy furry bundles of chaos that can make you feel so much better? It’s an interesting phenomenon, but it’s not the only wonderful thing about having a fur kid– pets can improve your health in a variety of ways.

Photo by Christian Domingues

“Note this is a collaborative post and I may be receiving compensation. Some links added are not my own and if you follow they are to ad’s & or Websites that could be selling products”

Mood Enhancing

Fur kids are natural mood enhancers. If you’ve never had a fur kid before, that could sound very strange indeed, but it’s true – people with a fur kid, studies show, are generally happier than those without. They are less lonely, and they trust more. Due to the fact that the owner is responsible for the fury member of their family, feeding them, taking them for walks, generally looking after their well-being and health, creates a sense of achievement and pride that comes with adding a pet to your family, and that boosts self-confidence.

Photo by Tanya Michelle of The Mama Life

When it comes to mental health, furry family members can certainly improve things by giving their family positive mental energy and raising serotonin and dopamine levels while at the same time decreasing cortisol. The effect is less stress and anxiety and more happiness.

Good For The Heart

Research has shown that having adding a fur baby in the house (especially a dog, as it happens) can reduce the risk of heart disease and improve longevity. People with fur kids are calmer (possibly because they need to deal with whatever the fur kid chooses to do on a daily basis, and interact with them as well), and that means lower blood pressure. Interestingly, cholesterol levels in those that have fur kids is also often much lower than in those without an animal at home.

Human Interaction

Pets will certainly improve your social life. It could be in a physical sense – walking your dog every day at the same time, along with other dog walkers, will allow you to meet people while out and about, for example. It could also be in a virtual sense – there are many forums and online groups for pet owners; sometimes they are general, sometimes they are for a specific animal or breed of animal.

Photo by Tanya Michelle of The Mama Life

Animals are fantastic conversation starters as well, so if you’re at a party, for example, and you’re not sure what to talk about, bring up the subject of your fur children – you’ll be able to chat to like-minded people with no issues at all. People need to interact with other humans as it stops feelings of loneliness and improves mood.

Children With Autism And ADHD

It’s not just adults who can benefit from adding a fur kid to their family. Pets of all shapes and sizes are also helpful to children who have autism or ADHD. Children affected by these conditions often have sensory issues, which makes interacting with people a problem. Animals, however, seem to be able to hold the children’s attention, calming them and allowing them to be more present and involved in the current situation.

ADHD parenting is challenging, but when you know that a family pet could be a great way to help your child, it might make you consider adding a furry friend to your family unit.

There are many ways to add a fur kid to your family and if possible, please try to adopt from your local shelter or rescue. You could potentially save each others lives!