The science behind the love we have for our animals

 The past century has seen a change in perspective on animals that have played a role in humans’ domestic lives for several millennia. However, according to an article on the website of the popular pet food Pedigree, this change didn’t happen overnight.

When humans first started recording their daily affairs, animals were viewed as nothing more than materials for food, clothing, household tools, transportation and other uses. Eventually, they eased their way into the realm of companionship when they proved their usefulness in hunting and working.

Over time, animals became valued companions, and thus came the idea of pets for the aristocracy, followed by pets for the rest of us.

With this new view of our furry, scaly and feathery friends, researchers have begun to identify reasons why we enjoy our pets’ company. They have found that we don’t only enjoy pets for companionship, but they also actually improve our physical and mental health:

                •             Petting our pets fires up the happy parts of our brains. According to an article on NBC’s website, petting your dog – specifically your dog – helps to increase happy hormones and reduce stress hormones. I saw firsthand how this kind of research can really benefit people when I met a woman who had a guide dog for an anxiety disorder, and she said that having him saved her life.

                •             Some people are natural caregivers. In addition to having children and/or working in a helping profession, these people gravitate toward pets.  For those who like to take care of others, but don’t want to commit to parenthood or a helping profession, having pets is a great option.

                •             Many studies have shown that having a pet helps our health. An article on the website of the TV channel Animal Planet says that pets can help humans combat depression and instill a sense of purpose in their lives.

                •             Pets help us socialize. A kind of indirect benefit of owning pets is that they can be a big talking point when socializing. Whether you’re out walking your pet, or it comes up in conversation – which leads to poring over pictures of our pets that are stored on our phones - we want to talk about the things we love. 

                •             Our obsession with pets is cultural. It’s not everywhere that people experience a spiritual awakening upon passing the threshold of PetSmart. Adam Tschorn argues in an article in the L.A. Times that it’s because we have more disposable income in our economy. Some might disagree with this, but one reminder is the celebrities who spend thousands on a diamond-studded collar for their pet or for other luxuries, like massages and manicures, makes it hard to argue against its existence.

                •             They’re adorable and hilarious!

ARIEL BROTHMAN is a freelance writer who lives in Wrentham, Massachusetts.