Assessing the benefits and risks of owning a pet

Cherniack, E. Paul; Cherniack, Ariella R.

doi:10.1503/cmaj.150274

Cited by 20 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 10 publications

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“…Pets induce increased social interaction [66] and quality of life [67] and have a positive influence on mental health [68,69]. However, despite all the positive effects, negative consequences of pet ownership, such as injuries [70][71][72][73] or zoonoses [67,74], are also possible.…”

Section: Pet Attachment and Its Association With Wellbeingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nature Relatedness of Recreational Horseback Riders and Its Association with Mood and Wellbeing

Schwarzmüller-Erber

Stummer

Maier

et al. 2020

IJERPH

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Connectedness to nature and nature contact can provide many benefits to humans, like stress reduction, recovery from illness, and increased positive emotions. Likewise, recreational horseback riding is a widespread sports activity with the potential to enhance physical and psychological health. Yet, the influence of connectedness to nature on the wellbeing of older aged recreational horseback riders has not been investigated so far. The aim of the present study therefore was to explore the relationship between nature relatedness and physical, psychological and social wellbeing and happiness. The study sample was composed of Austrian recreational horseback riders aged 45 years and older, who were compared with dog owners and people without pets (n = 178). We found significantly higher nature relatedness, significantly higher overall wellbeing and a significantly better mood rating in recreational horseback riders compared to people without pets and similar scores compared to dog owners. Physical wellbeing is correlated with overall nature relatedness in horseback riders and dog owners, but no correlation was found in people without pets. A structural equation model shows a direct relationship between nature relatedness and mood in horseback riders and an indirect relationship through pet attachment in dog owners. The results suggest the activity with horses and dogs in nature environments is a source of wellbeing, enjoyment, self-confidence and social contacts.

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Section: Pet Attachment and Its Association With Wellbeingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nature Relatedness of Recreational Horseback Riders and Its Association with Mood and Wellbeing

Schwarzmüller-Erber

Stummer

Maier

et al. 2020

IJERPH

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…There are various benefits to companion animal ownership. For example, pet ownership, particularly that of dogs, is associated with increased physical activity (Cherniack & Cherniack, ). As adults, those who experienced responsibility for pets as a child may be primed to express greater concern for wildlife and more compassion for other people as adults (Paul & Serpe, ).…”

Section: Animals In the Homementioning

confidence: 99%

Primates on display: Potential disease consequences beyond bushmeat

Muehlenbein

2017

American J Phys Anthropol

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Human interactions with nonhuman primates vary tremendously, from daily cultural engagements and food commodities, to pet ownership and tourist encounters. These interactions provide opportunities for the exchange of pathogenic organisms (both zoonoses and anthroponoses). As exposures are not limited to areas where bushmeat usage continues to be a major problem, we must work to understand better our motivations for engaging in activities like owning primates as pets and having direct physical contact with wild primates within the context of nature-based tourism. These topics, and the theoretical potential for pathogen transmission, are reviewed in the present manuscript. This is followed by a case study utilizing 3845 survey responses collected from four international locations known for primate-based tourism, with results indicating that while a majority of people understand that they can give/get diseases to/from wild primates, a surprising percentage would still touch or feed these animals if given the opportunity. Many people still choose to touch and/or own primates, as their drive to bond with animals outweighs some basic health behaviors. Desires to tame, control, or otherwise establish emotional connections with other species, combined with the central role of touch for exploring our environment, necessitate the development of better communication and educational campaigns to minimize risks of emerging infectious diseases.

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“…It is common for a companion animal, particularly a dog or cat, to be viewed by the owner as a member of the family (17–19). Although research suggests several health and social benefits of owning a companion animal [reviewed by Cherniack and Cherniack (20)], debate exists regarding the notion that pet ownership is uniformly beneficial (21), and the impact of providing long-term care for a companion animal with medical problems is not well understood. This issue becomes increasingly relevant as advances in veterinary medicine present the option to extend the life of a seriously ill companion animal.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Caregiving for a Companion Animal Compared to a Family Member: Burden and Positive Experiences in Caregivers

et al. 2018

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Introduction: Research in human caregiving shows burden is often present in the caregiver and can be reduced by interventions that increase positive perceptions of caregiving. Recent work suggests burden is also present in owners of a seriously ill companion animal. To help determine if findings from the human caregiving literature are likely to generalize to companion animal caregiving, we undertook a comparison of burden and positive aspects of caregiving in these groups.Material and Methods: Caregivers recruited through social media disease support and information groups completed self-report questionnaires of burden and positive aspects of caregiving in an online research protocol. Owners of a seriously ill companion animal (n = 117) and caregivers of a family member with dementia (n = 252) were cross-sectionally compared. Analyses in the full sample were repeated in a subset (n = 75 per group) of caregivers with blindly matched demographic profiles.Results: Burden was elevated in both dementia and companion animal caregiver groups, though higher overall for dementia caregivers (p < 0.001 for full and matched samples). In contrast, greater positive aspects of caregiving were reported by companion animal caregivers (p < 0.001 for full and matched samples). In both groups, positive aspects of caregiving were negatively associated with burden (full sample p < 0.001; matched sample p < 0.05). Exploratory item analyses suggested the two groups show comparable experiences of fearing the future, guilt, and financial strain (p = ns for full and matched sample).Discussion: Although both groups showed elevated burden, companion animal caregivers reported less burden and a more positive appraisal of caregiving. Elements of burden showing similarities across groups provide a foundation for understanding caregiver burden in the companion animal owner. The inverse correlation between positive aspects of caregiving and burden suggests the impact of positive caregiving experiences should be considered in burden interventions, but because companion animal owners already positively appraise caregiving, enhancing positive aspects of caregiving may not offset burden as it does in human caregiving samples.

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Assessing the benefits and risks of owning a pet

Cited by 20 publications

References 10 publications

Nature Relatedness of Recreational Horseback Riders and Its Association with Mood and Wellbeing

Nature Relatedness of Recreational Horseback Riders and Its Association with Mood and Wellbeing

Primates on display: Potential disease consequences beyond bushmeat

Caregiving for a Companion Animal Compared to a Family Member: Burden and Positive Experiences in Caregivers

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