MILLEDGEVILLE — The Union-Recorder supplement USA Weekend July 23-25 edition had an article in it titled “Why pets are are good for us,” written by Robert Deutsch. I try to read or at least skim articles about animals because I am always trying to learn more about animals and about people.

This article is one of the few I found to be very supportive of cats being therapeutic. Yeah!! Finally!! It also talks about dogs and even fish in different studies.

It’s been said for years that pets help us live longer. We all need to be aware of this and keep our pets in times of stress or illness instead of finding new homes for them.

According to researcher Cheryl Krause-Parello, assistant professor and director of the Center for Nursing Research at Kean University in New Jersey, “people feel better after watching a Lassie flick because their levels of cortisol, a hormone associated with stress takes a free fall,” the article states. Wow, watching Lassie is a stress reducer. Guess I better start watching animal movies instead of avoiding them!

Many studies are now into the “why” of the human-animal bond and how animals help humans. This is good because the issue of proving that animals provide positive health responses is complete. For me, this is huge. We can say FACT: animals are beneficial to the health and well-being of humans. Of course, there’s a caveat to that, which I will get to later.

What other things has research shown? So many exciting and positive things!!

According to the article, in 2002, Alan Beck, director of the Center for the Human-Animal Bond at Purdue University solved the problem of Alzheimer’s patients loss of appetite in nursing homes. “After bowls of goldfish were placed in nursing facility dining rooms, most patients experienced an appetite increase and subsequent weight gain.” And, no, they didn’t have goldfish eating contests!

Another study, according to the article, was done by Adnan Qureshi, professor of neurosurgery and neurology at the University of Minnesota. He followed 4,500 people. Results “Those who owned a cat were 40 percent less likely to die from heart attacks than those who had no feline in their lives. Owning a dog did not appear to have the same protection.”  Yippee for cats!!!

The “why” behind this finding could be the cat’s purr, according to the article. Purring is relaxing. We hear a cat purr and we ooooh and ahhh. For me, if I pet or pick up kittens at ARF when they first come in and they start to purr, I feel happy because the kitten is comfortable.

We’ve had many animals turned in to us because a family member is ill and the pet belongs to that person and no one wants to take care of the animal. Doctors need to understand that leaving the pet in the home can be crucial in the care of the human. Family needs to understand this, too.

Some doctors already provide this animal necessity. Dr. Edward Creagan, an oncologist at Mayo Clinic says “A pet is a medication without side effects that has so many benefits. ... I can’t always explain it myself, but for years now I’ve seen how instances of having a pet is like an effective drug. It really does help people.” He feels so strongly about the positive benefits of pets that he devised a way to prescribe a pet.

Some people are allergic to animals. Studies show differing opinions on exposure to pets. One study says to expose babies to animals to reduce the chance of them becoming allergic while other studies show just the opposite. Who knows what will cause an allergy? My father was allergic to one medicine. Other than that, my parents had no allergies. I have no allergies, yet my brother is allergic to everything. It started when he was 16, and he still has them. (And he’s older than I am.) But he comes to my home and doesn’t have any additional problems with my three cats and dog. He takes medicine.

I know many people who have allergies and refuse to give up their pets. But it’s a personal and medical decision.

Some people are not allowed pets where they live. That’s very true here in Baldwin County. This is why we screen potential adopters. If you can’t have a pet, then volunteer at ARF. We need committed volunteers. And if you are really allergic but love animals and want to help them, we do have fundraising and humane education volunteers.

Now to the caveats of the positive effects of pets. These are my personal issues. You can’t sit and relax in front of the TV with a cat in your lap if he’s never allowed in the house. Same with a dog. I firmly believe that to have positive physical and emotional benefits there must be interaction between human and animal. That’s part of the human-animal bond. For an animal to live a life with little human contact is not going to benefit the human or the animal. I also believe that allowing a pet to roam causes increased stress. It would for me!

When someone loses a spouse, the routine of caring for a pet and loving a pet can be critical. An important part of the grieving process is to maintain routines. If someone is ill, the company of a pet can be uplifting. We talk to our pets, and if you live alone, having a pal to talk to makes you feel less lonely.

Adopt a pet from ARF. It can keep you healthy.