If your child misses a lot of school due to illness, maybe you should get a cat. Research has shown that children who own pets attend school up to 9 more days a year than their non-pet-owning counterparts. The immune function of pet owners is more stable, making them better able to fend off illness. Pet owners visit doctors less.
Are you concerned about allergies? Isn't cat hair is a common source of irritation to immune systems? Well for one, no—it’s not the hair—and a leading theory under investigation by asthma researchers suggests that the presence of pets in the home from an early age may adapt the immune system so it is less sensitive to allergens later in life. So it may in fact be the lack of pets in a child's life that contributes to asthma sensitivities. This is not unlike doctoral advice to expose children to each other so that the immune system can develop a repertoire of antibodies for the most common microorganisms.
Studies have
also connected pet ownership with lower blood pressure and reduced anxiety
levels. In fact, a recent long-term study has shown that people, who have never
owned a cat, face a 40% greater risk of death due to heart attack than current
and even previous cat owners. Dog owners did not have the same level of
protection against heart disease as cat owners.
State University of New York researchers
found that the cat doesn't even have to be present to achieve this. A group of
stockbrokers with hypertension who owned pets showed lower blood pressure even
when not with their cats.
Cat ownership
may be a surprising remedy for absenteeism, however, good health and more days
at school are just two of the many benefits to children of having a cat in
their lives. Studies have associated numerous psychological benefits with pet
ownership.
Children who
live with cats show more empathy for others and help others more. This
translates to being able to understand others and get along better. Children
who live with animals develop a better understanding of body language and other
non-verbal cues. A study of 455 school children between the ages of 11 and 16
revealed that children with pets had a better ability to understand non-verbal
communications. As a result, these children are more popular with classmates
than those who don't have pets at home.
Additionally,
children who own pets are more likely to be involved in sports, hobbies, clubs
and other social activities. Some studies even show that children who own cats
have a higher IQ.
Children with pets learn develop an early
sense of responsibility. The responsibility of owning a pet can give children
the experience of being needed and this may translate into other areas of life.
Cats are relatively easy to care for, as they clean themselves and don't need
to be walked.
Social skills
and responsibility make a great foundation for life. A US study of 394
university students revealed that those who had owned dogs or cats as childhood
pets were more self-confident than those who did not. This may be related to
other findings that children raised with pets have higher self-esteem, thought
to result from the unconditional love a pet provides. No matter what's going on
at school, or with friends, pets treat children the same way.
It seems obvious
to say then, that pets hold an important place in many children's lives, often
on a par with parents, grandparents and siblings. Children often talk to their
pets and regard them as an important friends and confidantes. A five-year study
of 600 children aged 3-18 years showed that pet-owning children who have
challenges such as being slow learners or having divorced parents cope better
with life than those who don't have a pet. Again, having a pet that shows
unconditional love regardless of what is happening can cushion other
difficulties in life.
It's not
surprising that pets have been used successfully in therapy for some time now.
They help sick kids relax and take their minds off their illnesses. Some
doctors, recognizing the importance of pets in children's lives ensure that pet
names are included in their patients' medical records along with other family
members. Even in the most depressing clinical environment, talking about a pet
can lighten a situation. Check out Kittykit cat beds
Comments
Post a Comment