Science Says: Having a Pet Can Help Support Your Mental Health

a post by Steven Feldman, Executive Director of HABRI, for the World of Psychology blog



The relationship between man and animal dates back centuries. Time has transformed this relationship from being one based on utility to one based on love and family.

Now more than ever, pets are kept for companionship over all else; they are an important and valued part of the family. Dogs and cats have moved from sleeping outside to sleeping next to us in bed.

Through the advancement of scientific research focused on human-animal interaction, we know that this companionship provides a host of benefits – both to the people and animals involved. The Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI) is a non-profit organization that funds research into the health benefits of pets and human-animal interaction. HABRI’s vision is for the human-animal bond – the mutually beneficial relationship between pets and people – to become universally embraced as an essential element of human wellness, for quality of life, physical and mental health.

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It's such a shame that so many social housing projects do not allow pets. Even a gerbil or a guinea pig can be a companion.

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No surprise to those who’ve been there: Losing a pet can hurt more than losing a fellow human

a post by Brandon A. Weber for the Big Think blog



There are a number of reasons the death of a pet is as hard as – or sometimes, even worse than – losing a human.

Pets are increasingly such close family members because we spend every day, sometimes all day, with them and, especially in their later years, we are the caregivers and providers. And they are frequently our alarm clocks, as well.

Much of the time, it’s the first experience we have with a close death; even children who grow up with pets will likely see them pass before they go off to college.

Grieving for a family member or friend is socially acceptable, and people generally don’t tell us to “just get over it” or offer to find a new substitute like they do with pets.

Euthanasia is usually the end-of-life choice for older pets, and that’s also something outside the “normal” human experience, because that just isn’t done with humans.

There’s also the ‘love hormone’ known as oxytocin, which is released when humans stare into each other’s eyes, or when parents look at their children. A 2015 study found that dogs and humans both experience increased oxytocin levels when they look into each others eyes.

“I’m sure if you did the study with other animals it would be the same,” says Cori Bussolari, a psychologist at the University of San Francisco, reasoned.

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