The benefits of pet ownership.

• Research shows that dog owners made 8% and cat owners 12% fewer visits to the doctor than non-pet owners in the previous year. • Pet owning pensioners make up to 21% fewer visits to the doctor than non-pet owners. • Children from households with pets have stronger immune systems and took fewer days off sick from school, receiving up to 18 extra half days schooling per year. This was most pronounced in age groups 5-8 • Exposure to pets in the first year of life lowers the prevalence of allergic rhinitis and asthma in school children 5 • Pet ownership is associated with lower levels of stress • Results of a three-year study of 5,741 people showed that pet owners had lower blood pressure and triglyceride and cholesterol levels than non-owners, a result that could not be explained by such personal differences as cigarette smoking, diet, weight or socioeconomic profile.