My inquiry question: How does a pet impact and benefit an individual’s mental health?
Should individuals consider getting a pet to improve their mental health?
Benefits of a pet physically and in general
Apart from mental health benefits, there are many benefits of having a pet in our daily lives. Studies show that pet ownership helps increase fitness levels. (2) Owners who take their pets on a walk for up to 30 minutes get more exercise each day compared to non-walkers. (2) They are also more likely to achieve the recommended amount of physical activity by simply walking and playing with their pets. (2) Sticking with new healthy habits to keep you active is also helpful when you have a pet. A pet will provide social support and motivation to help you maintain these healthy habits. (3) Specifically for pet owners with dogs, their main physical health benefit is that they force owners to stick to a routine to take their dogs on regular walks. (3)
Data on pets and physical health:
- A study of 2,400+ cat owners concluded a significantly lower risk of death due to cardiovascular diseases. This includes strokes and heart attacks. (4)
- In a study of adults aged 50+ with mildly elevated blood pressure, a dog or a cat impacted their blood pressure greatly. Specifically, with dog ownership, those adults had lower diastolic and systolic blood pressure. (4)
- In a Michigan Behavioural Risk Factor Survey, they found that 60% of dog walkers met the criteria for both regular and moderate leisure-time physical activity. (4)
Here are some other overall benefits:
- better blood pressure (2)
- fewer doctor visits (1)
- better psychological well-being (1)
- increased self-esteem (1)
- better quality of sleep (5)
- lower choloesterol levels (2)
- boost overall happiness and well-being (2)
- feeling more positive about their neighbourhoods (5)
Cost comparison to therapy or counselling
A pet might sound to be too costly for someone who wants an improvement in their mental health. Some may believe emotional support animals can cost the same as trained service animals. Yet, this is not the case. The cost of a fully trained service animal regularly reaches $20,000 or more. (6) But, emotional support animals are more similar in cost to a regular pet since they don’t require training. When comparing the cost of therapy or counselling compared to the average cost of many pets is significant. Pets are much cheaper compared to other forms of mental health treatments. In British Columbia, the fee to see a counsellor for a 50-minute session is around 120-150$ without tax. (7) If you were to have 1 counselling session per week, the total would amount to 6,240$ without tax (using solely 130$ per session). (7) Comparing this to the average cost of a pet shows a big difference. The average cost of different types of pets (not exotic pets) is annual expenses of about $400 to $4,000. (10) The total cost of a dog in Canada in 2021 was approximately 3,724$ yearly according to the Ontario Veterinary Medical Association. (9) The annual cost for the average cat parent is between $495-$1,570 annually. (8) Therefore, in comparison to counselling or therapy, in Canada the average cost for a pet is much cheaper compared to paying for a different method to improve your mental health.
Sources:
- https://www.cnn.com/2020/02/20/health/benefits-of-having-a-pet-wellness/index.html
- https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-lifestyle/mental-health-and-wellbeing/can-your-pet-help-you-be-healthier
- https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/mayo-clinic-q-and-a-how-owning-pets-can-lead-to-a-healthier-lifestyle/
- https://www.onehealth.org/blog/10-mental-physical-health-benefits-of-having-pets
- https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/animals-and-us/201808/does-having-pets-really-make-us-healthier
- https://www.valuepenguin.com/cost-of-service-animals
- https://www.lavendercounselling.com/standard-fees/
- https://www.rover.com/ca/blog/cost-of-cat-parenthood/
- https://www.phidirect.com/blog/the-average-cost-of-owning-a-dog-in-canada
- https://www.moneyunder30.com/the-true-cost-of-pet-ownership