As part of a new campaign this year, we launched a survey asking adopters how getting a pet has improved their wellbeing. The results were fascinating and proved that by adopting an animal you’re not just changing their life – you could actually be improving your own too.
It’s been a challenging couple of years for us all as we’ve collectively dealt with a public health crisis, successive lockdowns and threats to our physical and mental wellbeing.
It was clear from our survey that many of us are feeling more anxious than we did two years ago – 43% of people who responded to our survey* said they were more worried since the start of the pandemic and lockdown in March 2020. More than a third (36%) said they were less calm, and 30% said they were less happy than before.
It’s not all bad news, however – owning a pet was proven to be a balm for our anxious souls over the last few years.
More than 70% of people who responded to our survey who had suffered from mental health issues including depression and anxiety said that having a pet helped to alleviate their condition.
It’s not just mental wellbeing that’s been improved by pet ownership. Of the 70% of people questioned who said they suffered from a physical health condition, nearly all (69.5%) said owning a pet actually helped them to feel better physically too.
One pet owner who responded to the survey said, “I have a Jack Russell/chihuahua cross and he’s a delight. I have arthritis and don’t always feel like going out, but because of him I have to and feel much better for it”.
Another confided, “My daughter says our cat has saved us. She has autism and having a cat calms her and helps to reduce her anxiety. The cat is great company when I’m on my own – some days I wouldn’t speak to anyone if I’m working from home”.
Those without major medical or mental wellbeing issues nevertheless reported an overall calm that comes with having pets, “looking after them stops me overthinking,” said one respondent.
