Your first pet dog or cat - how can animals help enhance your family and/or marriage?

Posted by Yip & Purr on Aug 23, 2018

Getting your first pet can be one of the most exciting memories in your life. The excitement becomes even more exciting when you get to share the addition of your new pet with your loved ones. As a bystander, it is equally exciting to see the new family take home a new pet! The light in their eyes and the sudden “caretaker” instinct that comes alive is admirable. You can instantly see the love that will be bound between the family and their pet.

So how does having a pet help enhance a family or marriage? Broadly speaking, they offer emotional, psychologial and physical benefits. Here are just a few of the key benefits that you should consider by adding a loveable “fur baby” to your family:

Reduce stress. Your pets can help turn bad days around just by their pure energy and love they show for you.
Enhance your social interactions with other people
Help you realize what the power of a hug or touch can have on a person. The cuddle hormone “oxytocin” gets released when you pet a dog or cat. This hormone creates increased feelings of trust and closeness with your partner.
Boost happiness. When you are happy, your pet can feel it too. A happy and playful pet will naturally encourage you to smile and laugh more. This in turn makes you feel more happy and satisfied.
Bring you closer together as a family unit. When you all have added responsibility of taking care of a pet, you all work together on the best way to take care of the pet. In addition, it teaches responsibility and accountability to young children.
Get in shape! Particularly if your pet is a dog, there is a good chance that you will be taking your dog for daily walks. The benefits of exercise will go a long way for you, your pet and your family.

There are so many more benefits that come from being a pet owner. It’s impossible to list them all. Timing is always important, but when the right time comes to welcome a pet in to your family, we wish you the best of luck. Cheers to many memories made with your “fur babies!”