We love our pets. 67% of American households have one, and in 2022 we spent over $75 billion on our animal friends. We’re spending a lot to keep these non-human family members in our homes, but are they doing anything for us? From helping to lower stress to fighting allergies, it turns out owning a pet is actually a healthy move.
Why Owning a Pet Is Healthy
Avoid Allergies
It wasn’t that long ago that we thought pets were bad for allergies and that anyone suffering from them should avoid bringing a pet into the house. Parents were told to avoid keeping pets lest their kids develop allergies. It turns out that was all backward. Instead, kids who grow up with animals tend to have fewer allergies and less risk of asthma than those in animal-less environments. That’s precise because our pets are not clean.
To understand this, think about what you’re doing when you go to the gym. You lift weights until your muscles are exhausted. In fact, you’ve actually made micro-tears in the muscles with all that exertion–but that’s a good thing. The body builds the muscle back stronger than before. Low-level stress of certain kinds helps the body become stronger, and this applies to the immune system, as well. Because our pets are constantly exposing us to small levels of dirt and allergens, our immune systems learn how to fight back more effectively and efficiently.
