Pets, attachment, and well-being across the life cycle.
Social Work › Vol. 40 Nbr. 3, May 1995
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Pets, attachment, and well-being across the life cycle.
There were 117 million dogs and cats in the United States in 1991 (Mason, 1991). Over half of all families own at least one pet, and many perceive the pets as members of their family (Albert & Bulcroft, 1988; Cain, 1885; Cowles, 1985; Cusak, 1988). Research is beginning to support what every pet owner knows: Having a family pet enhances and enriches quality of life. Although Keddie (1977) wrote that it is difficult to assess this benefit in scientific terms, there is now evidence that animal companionship reduces loneliness and contributes to a general sense of well-being throughout life (Cusak, 1988; Muschel, 1984). Pets have proved effective in reducing blood pressure (Katcher, 1982) and promoting survival in a study of coronary artery illness. In a follow-up study of 93 patients who returned home after heart attacks, only 6 percent of those with pets died, compared with 44 percent without a pet at home (Friedman, Katcher, & Meislich, 1980). These results occurred independent of the existence of other social relationships, leading the researchers to conclude that the presence of pets influenced people in ways that were different from and in addition to human relationships.
Similarly, in a large telephone interview study of Medicare enrollees, Siegel (1990) found that elderly pet owners reported less psychological distress and fewer visits to physicians over a one-year period than respondents who did not own pets. She also noted that 58 percent of the sample did not live alone; thus, pets were not n...See the full content of this document
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