Is your pet helping you keep your marbles?
Yofi, the Goldendoodle, guardilng our table at Starbucks

Is your pet helping you keep your marbles?

Is sharing a photo of Yofi the Wonderdog a shameless ploy to get your attention?

Um, sort of. But it's for a good reason...

?Besides being a stellar companion and mobile food spills disposal unit, Yofi helps me stay healthy. When I review the usual health benefits of pet ownership, I think "check, check, check, check, check."

They probably also resonate with you, you parent of Fluffy, Foo Foo, or Fido. Check them out:

1.??????? Reduced stress:? This is why cat bars exist. Just petting your dog or cat can lower levels of cortisol, a stress hormone, and increase serotonin, a feel-good neurotransmitter.

2.??????? Improved heart health: Yofi gets me off the couch. Pet owners, especially dog owners who walk their dogs regularly, have better cardiovascular health.

3.??????? Increased socialization: Pets, particularly dogs are people magnets. In my experience, people who would never approach me if I were on my own come over to pet my dog, introduce their dog, and tell me their life stories while chatting about dogs!

4.??????? Enhanced mood: When you come home to the unconditional love of your pet, the world is sunlight and rainbows, no matter how crummy the day.

5.??????? Strengthened immune system. It's counterintuitive, but a too-sterile environment is unhealthy. Particularly for children, exposure to pet dander and outside bacteria may reduce the risk of allergies and asthma because the immune system becomes more resilient to environmental allergens and germs.


?But here’s a new one on me…?

6. A recent study* showed that those over 65 who owned a pet for more than five years had a reduced risk of cognitive decline.

The effect is not noticeable in younger people (maybe because they're younger?), but it is a happy piece of news for those of us in...advanced middle age.

More research is needed to figure out exactly why pets might keep us sharper, but it makes sense (to me) that reduced stress, improved heart health, and more activity would contribute to improved brain health as well.

Thank you, Yofi, for helping me keep my wits about me.

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Are you losing your mind trying to keep your content marketing on track? Could you use a hand cranking out blog posts, articles, or social media posts to highlight the great work you’re doing? If so, I can help.

Shoot me an email at [email protected], or message me on Linked In. We’ll schedule a phone call or Zoom meeting to figure out if it makes sense to work together. And that first consultation is at no charge.


*Applebaum, J. W., Shieu, M. M., McDonald, S. E., Dunietz, G. L., & Braley, T. J. (2023). The Impact of Sustained Ownership of a Pet on Cognitive Health: A Population-Based Study. Journal of Aging and Health, 35(3-4), 230-241. https://doi.org/10.1177/08982643221122641

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Sadaqat M.

Journalist I Co-Founder of ContentAgency I Book Author I Copywriter I Project Completion Report Writer I Proposal Writer I Content Editor

12 个月

My lovely cat is a great source of amusement for my whole family. ??

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Carla Rogers

Guiding Nonprofit Boards from AI Oversight Gaps to Strategic Leadership | Helping Organizations Recapture 25% Lost Funding & Drive Measurable Mission ROI

1 年

I loved this!! And yes, I've had pets all my life. From dogs and cats to fish, turtles and toads. Yes I grew up on a farm and was a tom-boy lol. I have 4 kitties now.

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