Human beings are social creatures. We all love being around those we love as a way of socializing. However, apart from interacting with fellow human beings, we have a tendency to love some animals. These are the animals we keep dear as they serve as companions to us. In my case, I cannot go a day without spending some time with my lovely dog, Rex. Since 2015, Rex has been my closest companion. For instance, when going through hard times, I like taking nature walks with Rex and feel relieved. Although pets are important aspects of our lives, it is crucial to understand why it is advisable to have one. Based on my 5-year experience with Rex, I have learned amazing reasons one should have a pet. Therefore, this is a compilation of 5 amazing reasons you should have a pet.
The 5 amazing reasons you should have a pet are:
- Pets aid in relieving stress
- Pets serve as greatest companions
- Pets keep people active and lively
- Pets make people responsible
- Pets are good for people’s health
1. Pets Aid in Relieving Stress
The world today has many stressors. People are busy all day trying to earn a living, a situation that, in most cases is stressing and burdening. Many people consider adopting a pet a selfless act, however, this act has many selfish health benefits. Our bodies have the hormone cortisol released by the adrenal glands and is responsible for stress. In its operation, this hormone collaborates with different brain parts to alter a person’s mood, fear, and motivation which in turn lead to stress.
The production of cortisol hormone is controlled by the hypothalamus and pituitary glands in the brain. In this case, these are the glands that sense when there is danger or alerting situations then send impulses to the adrenal glands. From these glands, cortisol hormone is released which then alters your mood, motivation, and fear. In turn, this leads to stress.
I am sure you now have an understanding of how stress is developed in our bodies. However, the question is, How do pets aid in relieving stress? The question is thoroughly answered in this section. To relieve stress, the level of cortisol in the body must be regulated. In this case, when you are stressed, the cortisol level in your body is high. Therefore, you need to regulate the secretion of this hormone to make it balanced in the body.Moreover, you should increase the secretion of oxytocin, a feel-good hormone.
The interaction you have with your pet has a positive impact on your mood and motivation. Petting a dog has been proven to lower the secretion of hormone cortisol. I have witnessed this through my daily interaction with Rex, my pet dog. There are times when I get home tired due to the busy day. In such situations, my mood is normally not good. However, after taking a walk with this dog, I always feel happy. By altering your mood and motivation, your pet will ensure that the adrenal glands do not produce excessive cortisol hormone that leads to stress. Thus, this is an amazing reason you should have a pet.
2. Pets Serve as Greatest Companions
Owning a pet disapproves the saying, “good friends are hard to find.” When compared to human beings, pets have been known to be loyal, nonjudgmental, and full of unconditional love. These are three aspects are the best definitions of true friendship and companionship. Most pet owners trust pets than most people around them.
In a research, a group of students was asked to make a list of their close relationships. The list was to be in the order of who they would most likely turn to in hard times. In this research, it was established that pets scored higher than human relationships. This is an amazing fact about pets many people ignore. In most relationships, the reason for companionship is to make one happy. This is an amazing reason you should have a pet because pets are unique companions to people.
I am among the people who consider their pets as companions. This is an amazing reason you should keep a pet. When relaxing at home, I find myself confiding private problems into Rex’s soulful eyes. By maintaining eye contact with my dog, I feel having a companion to share my issues with. This is a confirmation of the fact that most people in the U.S talk to their pets as companions.
3. Pets Keep People Active and Lively
To keep fit, we are expected to exercise, remain active and lively. However, it is always boring to exercise without a partner. In most cases, people are occupied that they lack time for exercise and even playing around. I have experienced this, as in most cases, I have been forced to exercise alone. However, as initially stated, pets are always there for their owners. Thus, Rex has encouraged me to exercise as he is always with me.
Pets encourage people to be active as they take them for exercise. In the United States, most pet owners walk around with their pets. Although these people may be tired and not willing to exercise, their pets will be running with them. In turn, this forces them to run. This demonstrates that your pet helps you to exercise.
Apart from exercising, pets are important for keeping a home lively. My pet dog has been key to keeping the compound lively by running around and barking. This act has been crucial in enhancing my stay at home. This is what makes people motivated to walk around with the pet. Furthermore, it is easy to be jovial with a pet at home.
Pets provide a valid reason to experience the outdoors. Modern life has become more sedentary, thus, people need a reason to break the monotony. Before owning a dog, I could not head down the streets to the beach. However, I regularly walk to the beach because I know my dog loves that. Additionally, I have been able to participate in other outdoor activities like biking and hiking because of the relationship I have with my pet. Therefore, you should understand that pets have a lot to offer and can bring a great deal of joy to you and your family. Therefore, this is among the amazing reasons you should have a pet.
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4. Pets Make People Responsible
Are you wondering how a pet can make you more responsible? This is a question is kept asking myself until when I got a pet. When you own a pet, you will realize that keeping and maintaining this pet is tedious and requires some skills. For instance, a pet needs to be cleaned, it needs a safe and secure environment, treatment, and finally, food. In this regard, having a pet adds to the family’s responsibility as time has to be specified to cater for the pet. As a result, this is an amazing reason you should have a pet.
By keeping a pet, you will understand the importance of cleanliness. Clean pets are always happy and healthy. When left uncleaned, a pet will develop some sicknesses like hot spots which makes the pet uncomfortable. Additionally, it is by cleaning these pets that they become active and social at home. These are the skills I learned after owning a dog. For the past five years, I have been regularly brushing my dog. Guess what? From the cleaning and handling of the dog, I have developed large arm muscles. Therefore, apart from being responsible, I have had enough exercises working on the pet.
Finally, pets teach children how to be responsible. In regards to the care of pets, children become educated on what is expected of them as they become adults. Parents work with children to accomplish activities like cleaning the pet, feeding it, and ensuring that its environment is clean. This demonstrates another importance of having a pet in your family. However, you should monitor children under the age of 4 when handling pets. This is to ensure that an accident does not happen either to the child or the pet.
5. Pets are Good for People’s Health
A healthy person must be physically fit, healthy has low-stress levels with normal body functioning. In most cases, the health of a person depends on exercise, state of the mind, and diet. As demonstrated, pets aid in relieving stress and making people active and lively. This is an amazing reason you should have a pet as it will positively impact your life. The following are the different ways pets make people more healthy:
Lowers Blood Pressure
Petting a dog for 15 minutes can lower blood pressure by 10% according to the research. This is an amazing reason why every home should have a pet as blood pressure-related illnesses are increasing. According to the findings by Tombola, pets aid the human body to release serotonin, prolactin, and oxytocin which regulate the body’s functioning. Furthermore, socializing with pets lowers the production of the stress hormone cortisol. These hormones are good for the body as they lower anxiety and stress. As a result, interacting with pets leads to the production of antidepressants. In turn, this decreases body pressure.
Decreases the Feeling of Loneliness
Being lonely leads to excessive thinking which in turn, leads to stress. However, it has been illustrated in this article that one of the reasons people keep pet animals is for a companion. Additionally, I have given my story of how I got a perfect companion in my dog. This is an amazing reason you should have a pet because as you play with it, the lonely feelings are eliminated. This will always make you happy even if you are going through difficult times. Through the elimination of the factors that cause stress, pets ensure that you are healthy.
Keeping Fit
Pets improve our lives as they aid us in keeping fit. Petting a dog is the reason I always go out at least twice a day. I have always been doing workouts with my pet daily. Apart from this, when taking daily exercises, my dog is always with me. This makes me encouraged and motivated to continue exercising. Exercises are always crucial for the human body. Through exercise, we lose excessive fats and keep our hearts healthy. Without this pet, I would not have managed to keep fit by exercising. Therefore, this has been beneficial to my life. You should consider this as a reason to also keep a pet at your home.
In summary, pets have many benefits in our lives. Although many people may consider pet-keeping as a selfless activity, it should be noted that this is selfish activity important for your body. Therefore, from this presentation of the five amazing reasons you should have a pet, I hope you have learned a lot. If you do not have a pet, it is now your turn to get one and live a healthy life.
