We pet parents know this from experience. The bond that is created with our dog or cat goes far beyond feeling accompanied or sharing moments of complicity. The relationship is so close that he becomes another member of the family, as loved as the rest. But have you ever wondered how your life has changed by sharing it with them? Science continues to prove it: dogs and cats have a transformative power over us and their company provides us with multiple benefits.
In general, people who live with a dog or cat enjoy better health, since they receive unconditional affection and enormous loyalty, as noted by the American Heart Association (AHA). “The bond helps them not feel alone. When people see, touch, hear their pets or talk to them, this brings a feeling of goodwill, joy, affection and happiness,” the AHA highlights. And playing with our dog or cat, giving it affection and meeting its needs directly affects our emotional well-being.
The scientific explanation behind that feeling of happiness when being in the company of our dog or cat focuses on oxytocin, the so-called love hormone. Some studies indicate that interacting with them increases oxytocin levels just by stroking them or looking at them. Patricia Ramírez, better known as Patri Psicología, explains it: “it helps us reduce anxiety and stress. This is because this hormone enhances relaxation, causing us to enter a state of well-being.” When a 'member' of the family, such as a dog or cat, causes these types of effects in us, "we end up looking for those comforting moments on a regular basis," she says. A mutual feeling of well-being, since a review of various scientific research, carried out in 2012, indicated that oxytocin is also activated not only in humans, but also in animals.
Likewise, the emotional support that dogs and cats provide us with their company, empathy and affection without judgment, in addition to their ability to detect and respond to human emotions, contribute to reducing our levels of cortisol, the hormone related to stress.
In a society that moves faster and faster, dogs and cats are a clear example of living in the here and now, of knowing how to appreciate the present. “They are in a continuous state of ‘mindfulness’. And we can learn from them to develop mindfulness,” says Patri. “Humans constantly try to train the brain to multitask, something that is impossible, and this generates many attention and concentration problems in people. I always tell my patients that a very good meditation and relaxation exercise is to watch their dog and/or cat sleep. This helps them practice slow breathing and enhances relaxation,” she adds.
This learning helps us draw our attention outward, “and that is when people begin to focus on the beautiful things that happen in life, and this, in some way, impacts our mood and personality,” concludes.
Moments of full attention, such as walking time, not only benefit us psychologically, but also physically. Going for a walk with our dog is a motivation to do physical activity outdoors, and it is also heart-healthy. Other research shows that people who own dogs tend to be more physically active and have lower resting blood pressure. This has been proven in people diagnosed with hypertension and in pet parents subjected to a stressful situation.
As Patri indicates, “in some way a parallel effect is produced, because they help us have a less sedentary, more human life.” People who do sports daily do not have more time, it is because they are better organized. “The same thing happens with people who have a dog or cat, they don't have more time, but rather they prioritize and organize their day better,” he adds.
Living with dogs and cats is not only a way to combat loneliness and feel accompanied at all times. Various studies highlight that it also influences our relationship with other people, improving it, thanks to the promotion of aspects such as trust, empathy and a positive state of mind. “Dogs and cats help us develop and understand values such as acceptance, forgiveness and unconditional love,” says Patri Psicología. In addition, “they help us to be more loving, empathetic and calm people. They generate greater empathy towards other dogs and cats, and enhance love towards others, also managing to change the perception we have about other people,” she adds.
In the case of cat parents, one of the benefits of spending time at home with a cat is that it helps us develop better communication. “It allows you to communicate with someone. In fact, this can be compared to the psychological benefits that speaking out loud provides, such as concentration or planning. Talking to our cat improves attention, communication and, above all, eliminates loneliness,” explains Patri.
Our dogs and cats make us feel useful and responsible for their care, which improves our self-esteem. “When we decide to have a dog or cat, in some way they make us more responsible people, because they enhance order in our routines,” says Patri Psicología. In fact, it is something that especially benefits the little ones. “For example, having a dog educates children in aspects such as organization and the responsibility of having to walk them,” she says. But it is not the only lesson that they can learn from them thanks to coexistence: “they are educated in the love of animals and, by extension, of nature. I like to think that dogs and cats educate us in values.”
In short, apart from the psychological and physical benefits, living with our dog or cat makes us more human. “Thanks to them we learn to be generous and enhance the ability to give unconditional love,” says Patri, adding: “They give us a perspective of the world that we would never see if it weren't for the fact that we have to take care of them. And this is wonderful.”
