If pet adoptions have been on the rise since the start of the health crisis, it is not by chance.
Since the first confinement, pet adoptions have increased by 10 to 15% according to the National Union of Dog and Cat Professions. With only 3.8% of adopted animals returned to the SPA, the company of these animals makes sense.
How do pets improve morale?
Pets, dogs and cats in particular, are endowed with what is called “anthropomorphism”, i.e. they are able to react to our behavior and our emotions, but also to demonstrate intelligence and adaptation.
For several decades, their impact on mental health has been studied and shows that having a pet not only forces you to move, but also has an impact on our hormones. Interacting with a dog or a cat can reduce cortisol (the chronic stress hormone), and increase serotonin and dopamine (linked to attachment and good humor). By feeling less anxious and less alone, the owner improves his well-being.
Take an animal when you suffer from mental illness
Whether you suffer from depression, anxiety, but also psychotrauma, bipolar disorder or autism, taking a pet, whether it’s a dog or a cat, can help breaking isolation, adopting a virtuous routine, being active and interacting with other people. Assistance dogs for autistic people (1) or for depressed people (2) are thus trained to help their owner come back to the present moment in case of panic, to protect them in case of agoraphobia or to console them.
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