A Pooch Or Kitty Is A Senior’s Best Friend
- Vickie Foster
- Sep 23
- 2 min read
Pet owners know the joyful feeling of seeing their pet’s happy face first thing in the morning. Now there is also scientific evidence that the mental state of seniors is bolstered by having a pet.
The recent study conducted in Switzerland covered 18 years of data from more than 16,000 individuals. No matter the kind of breed, the results showed that sharing a household with a dog or cat slowed cognitive decline in seniors.
While owners of birds and fish were included in the study, those owners did not show the same results. Owners of cats showed a slower decline in verbal fluency. Dog owners showed a lack of decline in memory both in immediate and delayed recall. With dog and cat owners their pet interactions tended to have a level of physical activity, verbal communication, and emotional reciprocity that is not present with fish and bird owners. These benefits could be the reason for the lack of mental decline.
Rescue shelters are recognizing this bond with programs aimed at Seniors adopting Seniors. These special programs assist older adults with adopting senior animals. Often a senior pet will be more mellow and are better matched with their senior adopters. Some shelters participate in Pets for the Elderly a nationwide nonprofit that assists people over 60 with adoption fees, and veterinary care for dogs and cats.
Not sure about making that permanent leap to own a pet? Shelters always welcome foster parents to give temporary care to their animals up for adoption.
The earlier mentioned study does not prove that dog and cat owners owe their lack of decline to their animal friends. It may be that healthier people choose to adopt pets. But just considering how much joy pet ownership can bring to your life, it’s worth taking that leap of faith.
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