Do Pets keep us young?

Just under half of the adult population in the UK are pet-owners, but what benefits can furry friends offer the twenty five million of us aged fifty and above?

Research suggests that pets can offer a multitude of health benefits to older people, both bodily and psychological.

June McNicholas, an expert on the dynamic between pets and older pet-owners, found in her recent study that pets have the potential to improve the physical, emotional, and social wellbeing of older pet-owners, and suggests that professionals within the care of older people should be seeking to preserve pet ownership within older people wherever possible. 

Definitely, there are definitely physical benefits of pet ownership. Older pet-owners have been found to have lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol levels and lower levels of triglyceride (the main constituent of body fats in humans), than their non-pet-owning peers. Cats and dogs especially – the UK’s most popular pets – require physical input (such as walks and play) in their care schedules, improving cardiovascular health, building stamina, and improving bone and muscle strength.

Mental wellbeing and social relations can also be improved with a pet. Aforementioned activities such as taking pets on walks can lead to interaction with fellow pet-owners, and even those pets which don’t require walks seem to have a positive impact on their owners’ social lives, with pet owners being 60% more likely than non–pet owners to get to know people in their local areas. Doctor Lisa Wood, associate professor at the University of Western Australia summarises;   

“Pet ownership appears to be a significant factor for facilitating social interaction and friendship formation within neighbourhoods … This also translates into new sources of social support, both of a practical and emotionally supportive nature.”

Such sources of social support are vital within the older population, who are more likely to have lost family, friends, and/or spouses, and thus be suffering from loneliness, and craving company – an issue we’ve been keen to raise awareness over within our ‘end loneliness’ campaign. Even outside of the sources of social support found in fellow pet-owners, pets themselves can be a major source of companionship.

Indeed, pet ownership has been found to improve the psychological wellbeing of older people generally. The responsibilities and needs associated with pets require owners to stick to a schedule, for example, and schedule-making and maintained habits have been found to reduce stress in adults. Pets have also been shown to improve depression and anxiety, acting as a reaffirmation their owners’ sense of value.

Dog-owner Julie Bradley, aged sixty four, agreed with this;  

“I think that any pet improves your mental health when you’re older. They keep you company – you have something to cuddle, and look after.”

In fact, pets – and animals generally – have been found to be so positively impactful on the lives of older people that many assisted care facilities are introducing ‘therapy pets’ to residents. Even our own social enterprise, EveryDay, uses therapy animals, or ‘pets as wellbeing ambassadors’ in our wellbeing centres, as well as Hearing Dogs for the Deaf (for information on how you can claim your free half-day taster session in one of these centres, please click here). A more recent scheme has seen the introduction of ‘robopets’ – robotic animals designed to provide companionship – in residential homes for older people.

A canine friend might also carry the added bonus of home security. Dogs are incredibly loyal animals, and the knowledge of this can help alleviate any concerns owners might have about safety, or crime in the local area. These are issues we’ve been particularly keen to address throughout out ‘fear of crime’ campaign.

Though older people might have queries and concerns about the feasibility of taking on the responsibility of a pet, many animal charities and adoption centres are able to offer advice on what sort of animal might be best suited to your lifestyle and capabilities. It might be recommended that you adopt an older pet, for example, accustomed to a more sedimentary routine. For information on dogs and cats available for adoption in North Tyneside, there are a number of charities you could visit; Dog & Cat Shelter, Animal Krackers, RSPCA, and St Francis Animal Rescue, to name a few.