Think of your favorite furry, scaly, or feathered friend. What seems so small actually means more to you than you think. A UC DavisHealth article points out several mental health benefits that stem from pets: they “help reduce stress and anxiety, ease feelings of loneliness, provide unconditional love and support, create a calming presence, give a sense of purpose for pet parents.” In the moment, your best friend might be perceived as just a playmate–just a pet you have to feed and play with; in reality, they mean a lot more. They contribute to your mental health.
Animals and your mental wellness–this is what I found out:
The effects of pets on mental health–
They decrease your stress and anxiety.
The American Psychology Association says that in 2024, 70% of teens faced anxiety and depression in the US. That’s a high percentage, especially among teenagers and young adults. With a pet’s companionship and reassurance, you can feel happier, and therefore less anxious. For example, you feel better when your cat purrs. Inspira Health Network says that just listening to a purring cat can lower your blood pressure. It releases oxytocin, a hormone that promotes happiness and reduces stress (inspirahealthnetwork.org). The same happens when we see our dogs wagging their tails. This also releases oxytocin, which in turn makes you happier.
Your pet makes you feel less lonely.
Loneliness is something usually everyone will experience in their lifetime–whether it’s from lost friendships, being alone, or a move to a new place. Loneliness has become so normalized, but pets can alleviate this feeling. In a study conducted by Mental Health America, 85% of people questioned in a national survey agree that pets can reduce loneliness. With pets, people feel more connected and supported; therefore, they feel less lonely.
Pets bring love and support.
Having a companion that supports you no matter what is something that everybody should have. You can’t get into arguments with pets, which is something that makes them so much greater. Given you treat them with respect, they will always love you the same. My cat Papaya has her highs and lows. However, even when I leave her home all alone, she’s always happy to see me coming back from school. Leaving might be perceived as betrayal, yet my cat responds to me with nothing but unconditional love.
Sarah posed Papaya for a photo shoot for The Bird on Fire. Papaya came into Sarah’s life three months ago. While Papaya lives with the whole Alnabelsi family, Sarah says Papaya is closest to her.
Pets create a calming presence.
While pets have their burst of energy or periods of time where you can’t seem to catch a break from their zoomies, a big percentage of the time they are either sleeping or not doing anything at all. With their calm presence, with them sitting or lying beside you, you are more eased and relaxed. For instance, think of coming back home from a long day of school. You’d want something calm to relax beside when you get home, and your pet does exactly that.
Animals give pet parents a purpose.
Having pets requires lots of care and attention. Some might think that this much work is bad; however, having a sense of purpose is something that helps people immensely when it comes to mental health. The American Psychiatric Association says that people with a great purpose in life were facing less stress. Having this feeling that someone–your pet–relies on you, provides a reason for someone to get up, even when they don’t want to. Knowing that your pet needs you for food, water, basically to live, is something that people find very helpful for their mental stability, physical agility, and emotional engagement.
While it’s true that their time with us is limited, the impact they have on you is more impactful than the inevitable loss–which is true for most relationships. You might have not even known it, but your pet’s influence on your life is something that can brighten up your day, or for others might even be their will to live.
“Until one has loved an animal, a part of one’s soul remains unawakened.”
