Sunday, January 21, 2007
Puppies Better Than Kitties
It's old news that having pets makes you healthier and happier. They provide companionship, which has health benefits of its own, and petting them releases anti-stress hormones on both human and pet. But what's the best pet to have? A dog! British researchers have found that dog owners have lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol, and other better health measures, than the general population, and than cat owners. So dogs are healthier than cats.
The result seems to result from a combination of dogs' need to be walked (increasing owners' exercise), dogs' generally more affectionate nature (stress relief) and, in what will bug cat owners most, dogs' neediness actually seems to make them more beneficial companions, especially for older people.
Not that cats aren't great, but give me a dog any day. Particularly one as awesome as Winston (pictured).
Labels: cats, dogs, health, pets
