Thanks to James Bishop of FindingOptimism.com, I found this great piece on Dilbert.com by Scott Adams about why dogs benefit a person's health more than cats. He's got some interesting hypotheses ... one of which is that you have to walk a dog. That is, you have to walk a dog outside. Which forces you to get some sunshine and Vitamin D, and I've already talked about why Vitamin D is good for your health. Writes Adams:My hypothesis is that the reason younger people get health benefits from pets, while old people "in a community" do not, is that the younger people spend more time outdoors walking their dogs, gaining both cardio benefit and exposure to sun which generates vitamin D. Old people let someone else walk the dog, or they have a doggy door, or they simply own a cat.
Interestingly, vitamin D confers similar health benefits as pet ownership, and most people don't get enough of it. Is it just a coincidence?
One way to test, albeit not conclusively, the reason pet owners are healthier than non-owners is to see if cat owners get the same health benefits as dog owners. My hypothesis is that cat owners get less sunlight, and less cardio, because you typically don't walk a cat.
Some of the health differences, if any, might be because dog owners are hardier people than cat owners to begin with. If you're not too healthy, and want a pet, you get a cat before you get a dog. So that would have to be factored in.
All I know for sure is that since I got my first dog, I'm getting all sorts of sun exposure that I wouldn't normally get, in small doses throughout the day. And I also get about an hour of walking per day, cumulative, that I wouldn't otherwise get. My cats give me none of those potential benefits.
So the testable hypothesis is that most of the health benefits of pet ownership are associated with dog owners, not cat owners, and the reason has to do with the walking of the dog more than the emotional bonding, although the latter might have some health benefits too.
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I think my cats give me agita more than anything else. Peeing on the floor, bring dead lil' critters into my home. It's nice when they sit on your lap and purr. There's a theory out there that the cats purr at a frequency that helps heal their bodies. I am wondering if there is a residual meditative affect if the purring vibrations are felt on the owner's lap.
While I like dogs, they are decidedly high maintenance. I would rather go running on my own or biking, than try to bring a dog along who might stop every few trees to have a sniff and mark his/her territory.
-Charley
Pretty weak stuff here.
I am a cat person and while dogs a nice and fun, cats provide an intellectual joy that dogs do not.
Pets can keep you alive as well, both dogs and cats. Dogs are obvious guardians, but if you know your cat, you will know when someone who is not supposed to be around is because the cat will let you know. And one personal story. I am seriously diabetic. When my wife was in the hospital a couple of years ago, our cat woke me up early in the morning, something she never does. I reached over, petted her and then said, "I'll be back in a second. I need a drink of water." (Yes, she understands.) Well, I got up and was immediately dizzy. I was in a major insulin reaction and if our cat had not awoken me, with no wife to take care of me I might not have awakened again at all.
People who disapprove of pets are not mere wrong, they are probably mentally ill and need serious counseling, perhaps even sheltered care as they are obviously a danger to themselves and others.
My cats , what can I say , how can I express how much love they give to me , they seem to read my mind , how else could you explain the way they hide when I just think about the vet . They are so playful and make me laugh so hard sometimes I lose my breath . That is the best medicine you can get .
Sib
I think part of the benefit of walking a dog has nothing to do with the exercise or sun, but simply with being outdoors--whether it in be a city, small town or nature. I was feeling down the other day, and simply walking around and seeing other people made me feel better.
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