• Question: Does having a pet influence your stress level?

    Asked by lozzadee to Laura, Lily, Mark, Paul, Sarah on 23 Jun 2010 in Categories: .
    • Photo: Lily Asquith

      Lily Asquith answered on 21 Jun 2010:

      Having a cat has been shown to reduce stress levels in the owner. Perhaps this is true of dogs too, but I’m not sure.

    • Photo: Laura Maliszewski

      Laura Maliszewski answered on 22 Jun 2010:

      I believe so. Behavioral studies have found that most people find pets to be soothing, hence the use of companion animals in hospitals and care facilities.

      Of course, a pet misbehaving will contribute to stress as well!

    • Photo: Mark Roberts

      Mark Roberts answered on 22 Jun 2010:

      Yes there has been research on that – but I’ll be honest I’m not a psychologist and can’t remember what the outcome was

      On a personal note cats always calm me down

    • Photo: Paul Roche

      Paul Roche answered on 22 Jun 2010:

      I don’t have a pet, I have 2 kids – and they just raise my stress levels….but apparently it can be very calming for some people, and gives them a “friend” and someone/thing to look after, so I guess it can have a very positive effect sometimes. Unless your pet is a big spider….

    • Photo: Sarah Bardsley

      Sarah Bardsley answered on 23 Jun 2010:

      Its been shown that pets can reduce the blood pressure of people and are particularly good for helping people recover from illness. Pets are often brought into hospitals and care homes because of this.

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