When we go through difficult times, we tend to feel so much better if there is someone with us who will never leave our side and who will never betray our trust. In many cases, those special beings are our pets. Animaltalk asked Prof Nicoleen Coetzee why people lean on their pets so much during times of stress.
Emotional support
It is interesting how pets can help us to cope in difficult situations. Being by our sides most of the time, our pets know us much better than we think they do. “First of all, pets are amazing because they can tell if we are stressed before we even know it. They can smell the changes in our hormone levels, and so will immediately know if our cortisol levels increase,” says Prof Coetzee.
“Pets view their human owners as part of the pack and therefore imprint on them. Because of this, they are attuned to their humans’ emotions. If their humans feel down or sad, they will exhibit behaviour such as acting goofy or getting the zoomies to get their people to play with them. Some dogs are known to lick the faces of their people if the latter are crying, while others will touch them with their paws,” explains Prof Coetzee. That means that pets will do things to either comfort their owners or try to distract them in an effort to make them feel better.
It is not only dogs who display this kind of behaviour. Cats will often move closer to their owners when they sense that their owners feel sick or sad. And it seems that this closeness and the distraction help us to feel better.
“Several studies over the years have indicated that pets have a positive impact on our mental health. After spending five minutes with your pet, your serotonin and dopamine levels will increase, making you feel happy and in a better space. Your oxytocin levels will also increase, which will make you feel wanted and part of something special.
“Pets also show unconditional love, so you can tell them anything – they will not judge you. Interaction with your pet also decreases levels of cortisol, the stress hormone. Taking your dog for a walk, for example, will also energise you, since your adrenaline levels will increase. During COVID-19, it was noted that individuals with pets experienced fewer feelings of isolation,” says Prof Coetzee.
Feeling happy again
Our pets can actually make us feel happy, even if it is just for a short period of time. One example is when you get home from work and your dog runs to you with his wagging tail, so happy to see you. Immediately, you feel loved and happy to see him too. That pure excitement and happiness from your dog makes you forget about your problems, struggles and challenges for that moment. At that point, love is in the air and you feel happy again. The same thing happens when your cat acknowledges you and comes to greet you.
To read the rest of this interesting article, get the Spring #347 edition of Animaltalk magazine from retail stores or order a digital or printed version from www.coolmags.co.za.
