It will probably come as no surprise that pets are good for our health. They make us happy and keep us calm.
All those walks are great exercise, too. That’s the very reason global Walk Your Dog Month is celebrated every January, which promotes the health benefits of dog walking – for both pets and owners.
But little did we know, pet ownership is also good for our brains. A recent published study by Erika Friedmann et. al. – supported by the Waltham Petcare Science Institute – shows the benefits of pet ownership are far greater than we might think. Especially for our brains during our golden years.
Using data from the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging, the team uncovered incredible differences in cognitive function between pet owners and those without pets. This included better short-term memories for both cat and dog owners in memory recall tests.
Another difference was between dog owners themselves: those who walk vs. those who don’t.
For dog walkers, cognitive deterioration was slower. This highlights just how important exercise is as we age – not only for our physical health but for our mental health, too.
This study is important in our understanding of the benefits of pet ownership. It is the first longitudinal examination of dog walking and cognitive function. It’s also one of the few studies that doesn’t overlook the benefits of cat ownership. (Most tend to have a bias toward dogs.)
Ultimately, the findings show the difference that pets can make to our golden years - and our lives. In turn, we should make a positive difference to theirs by keeping pets healthy and serving our purpose: A BETTER WORLD FOR PETS™.
Read the fascinating findings in full here.
