All of us who live with pets know the joy they can bring to our lives. But did you know that sharing your life with a pet may also improve your health and help you to live longer?

A recent report by Dr. Robert Blalock made the above assumption. It stated that in two separate research studies, Dr. Erika Friedmann determined that people who were recovering from a heart attack were five to eight times more likely to be alive one year after they were discharged from the hospital if they had a pet than if they didn’t. This was true even when controlling for severity of illness, demographic characteristics and physiologic profiles suggesting that the relationship itself with the animal was the key predictor of survival rates.

Other studies show that Alzheimer’s patients have fewer anxious outbursts and fewer mood disorders when there is an animal in the home. Cats seem particularly suited for this setting since the caregivers often feel less burdened by a cat who may require less daily care by them than a dog.

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