Why Pets Make Kids Healthy

Contrary to what you may have heard, adding a furry or feathered member to your family can be a wonderful thing. Moreover, it comes with the added bonus of boosting self-esteem, lowering stress levels for everyone in the family, but most importantly, they can teach your little a great deal about love.

- Simona Terron

Ask any Indian adult what they think about having furry companions and the reaction is almost always positive. They smile and either reminisce fondly about their past experiences of having pets, or they wistfully sigh and wish their parents had given into their demands for one when they were little. Now as parents with very young kids, when asked if they would consider having pets as companions for their children, strangely the answer is almost always a resounding ‘no’. Based on mostly hearsay and a lot of old wives’ tales about pets being a health hazard for little ones, those once-enthusiastic pet lovers are now wracked with doubt about the issue.

MAN’S BEST FRIEND

Families seem to forget the well-known fact that humans who have animal companions tend to have several great things going for them. Not only do they tend to be less likely to develop heart disease and hypertension, but they also tend to live longer and happier lives. Pets provide unconditional love and companionship, which can be a boon for folks who tend to have social anxiety or suffer feelings of isolation and loneliness. Try watching a person with their pet in public, and notice how random strangers feel comfortable enough to approach them or are more willing to help them if they ask for directions.