Pet healthHeart healthHealthy aging

7 remarkable ways your pet can add years to your life

Pet ownership brings unconditional love, plus some unexpected health benefits.


LearnPets and health7 remarkable ways your pet can add years to your life
They keep you on your toes
Pets give you a sense of purpose
Fur babies strengthen your heart
Pets ease anxiety and depression
They boost your immune system
Animals help kids grow up happy and strong
Pets complete your tribe

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There are countless reasons to love your furriest family member—those big adoring eyes, the wet kisses, the warm nuzzles after a long day, not to mention the ways in which pets ease stress and loneliness. And you can add a growing number of health benefits to the list, too. Read on for ways pet ownership can boost your health and add years to your life.

Sources: Centers for Disease Control and Preventi... + 16
  1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Benefits of physical activity. Published November 1, 2021.
  2. Westgarth C, Christley RM, Jewell C, et al. Dog owners are more likely to meet physical activity guidelines than people without a dog: An investigation of the association between dog ownership and physical activity levels in a UK community. Scientific Reports. 2019;9(1).
  3. Miyake K, Kito K, Kotemori A, et al. Association between Pet Ownership and Obesity: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2020;17(10):3498.
  4. The People's Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA). How much exercise does your dog need? No date.
  5. PDSA. Exercising your Cat. Accessed January 2023.
  6. PetMD. How Long Should You Play With Your Cats Each Day? Published December 7, 2018.
  7. Shiba K, Kubzansky LD, Williams DR, et al. Purpose in life and 8-year mortality by gender and race/ethnicity among older adults in the U.S. Preventive Medicine. 2022;164:107310.
  8. Mubanga M, Byberg L, Egenvall A, et al. Dog Ownership and Survival After a Major Cardiovascular Event. Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes. 2019;12(10).
  9. Surma S, Oparil S, Narkiewicz K. Pet Ownership and the Risk of Arterial Hypertension and Cardiovascular Disease. Current Hypertension Reports. Published online April 22, 2022.
  10. National Institute of Mental Health. Mental Illness. Published January 2022.
  11. Pendry P, Vandagriff JL. Animal Visitation Program (AVP) Reduces Cortisol Levels of University Students: A Randomized Controlled Trial. AERA Open. 2019;5(2):233285841985259.
  12. Salas Garcia MC, Schorr AR, Arnold W, et al. Pets as a Novel Microbiome-Based Therapy. Pets as Sentinels, Forecasters and Promoters of Human Health. Published online December 1, 2019:245-267.
  13. Fall T, Ekberg S, Lundholm C, et al. Dog characteristics and future risk of asthma in children growing up with dogs. Scientific Reports. 2018;8(1).
  14. Hill J, Ziviani J, Driscoll C, et al. Can Canine-Assisted Interventions Affect the Social Behaviours of Children on the Autism Spectrum? A Systematic Review. Review Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. 2018;6(1):13-25.
  15. Vila J. Social Support and Longevity: Meta-Analysis-Based Evidence and Psychobiological Mechanisms. Frontiers in Psychology. 2021;12.
  16. Hodgson K, Barton L, Darling M, et al. Pets' Impact on Your Patients' Health: Leveraging Benefits and Mitigating Risk. J Am Board Fam Med. 2015 Jul-Aug;28(4):526-34.
  17. Human Animal Bond Research Initiative Foundation (HABRI). The Health Care Cost Savings of Pet Ownership. December 2015.
Written by Rose Hayes, MA, RN.
Medically reviewed by Ann Wendling, MD, MPH.March, 2025
Updated onAugust, 2026
Written by Rose Hayes, MA, RN.
Medically reviewed by Ann Wendling, MD, MPH.March, 2025
Updated onAugust, 2026
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