Yeah, you knew this already. But here's one more reason to embrace pet ownership
Surprise (not). It turns out that owning a pet is a really positive thing. Both mentally and physically.
Lots of studies have shown this, of course, but here's yet more research -- this time done by Miami University and St. Louis University.
In short, the benefits of owning a dog or cat, according to the research, are "broad and wide."
... pet owners tended to be less lonely, have higher self-esteem, get more exercise, be more extroverted and were less fearful about getting close to other people.
And did you know household pets also help protect you and your kids against developing allergies? Why, we can hardly count all the benefits.
But you already knew that. We're just preaching to the choir here.
Here's a link to the full study. The title? "Friends with Benefits."
About the Bloggers
Daily Breeze reporter Donna Littlejohn has shared her homes with a succession of wonderful, funny, and occasionally difficult canines -- Muffin, Fritz, Ellie, Mercy, Pilgrim and now Cowboy, an Australian shepherd-border collie, and Tess, a border collie. From strong-willed terriers to weirdly obsessed Australian shepherds, they've invaded her world with boundless energy, wet noses, muddy paws and soggy tennis balls. But they've really brought so much more than that -- like laughter and joy, some unexpected life lessons, and more than a few tears along the way.
E-mail Donna at donna.littlejohn@dailybreeze.com.
Josh Grossberg grew up with the usual array of animals: goldfish, dogs, hamsters, parakeets and turtles. He now owns the loudest dog in the South Bay(Video: Rocket the Dog) and is the least popular person on his block. He spends his free time in dog parks, pet shops and always has an extra plastic bag in his pocket just in case. He also has a cat.
E-mail Josh at josh.grossberg@dailybreeze.com.
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