Pets and Senior Citizens
The relationships between people and their pets can be quite profound. This is especially seen when a senior citizen who has lived alone acquires a house pet such as a cat. In fact, dozens of studies have demonstrated that the elderly will enjoy longer, more enjoyable, and even healthier lives by acquiring a pet.
Why does this happen? It is difficult to pin-point the exact reasoning behind a drop in blood pressure and a healthier way of breathing that occurs when stroking the head of a cat or dog, but the simple fact that such things occur cannot be ignored. Over the years many nursing and rehabilitative facilities have also recognized the value of therapy animals and have begun to adopt resident cats or invite dogs to visit each patient on a weekly basis.
When it is an independent senior living with a cat, it is believed that the human begins to feel responsible for that animal, and it is the responsibility and purpose that make the person happier and healthier. While that is certainly a valid point, it must not be forgotten that most people have complete conversations with their pets and that there is always a certain amount of play time and interaction that occurs too. This means that cats will tend to make a single senior feel far less lonely as well as “needed” by the pet too.
It is also very important to consider the role that a cat might play in creating structure in the life of an owner as well. Cats have their own internal schedules and they tend to want feeding, attention, and play time at specific points of each day. This means that a cat is going to usually require its senior owner to live by a regular routine, and this sort of routine is going to lead to an all-around healthier lifestyle too. For example, if the cat begs for an afternoon treat it is likely that the senior is going to get up, spend some time talking and playing with the cat, give it a treat or two and probably have a snack for themselves. This is going to provide mental and physical activity as well as a bit of nutrition for everyone in the home.
It is an established fact that the vast majority of senior citizens benefit greatly from interacting with or owning a pet such as a cat or small dog, and that the many rewards from such relationships are impossible to measure.
