If you love animals you already know how good your beloved pet can make you feel but did you know they are great for your brain too?
Growing evidence has shown that pet owners have a much lower risk of dementia. And these are five reasons our animal friends are so good for us:
Good Company
Loneliness and stress are known risk factors for dementia so the companionship provided by your pet can make a massive difference to your brain health.
2. Get us moving
Regular walks and playtime with your pet encourage exercise, increasing blood flow to the brain and creating new neurons.
3. Boost our brain power
Training a pet, teaching tricks and playing with them uses parts of your brain involved in problem-solving. And remembering feeding schedules and vet appointments exercises memory and organisational skills.
4. Give us love
When you’re cuddling on the sofa with a cute cat or experiencing an enthusiastic welcome from an excitable pooch our bodies release the love hormone oxytocin which relieves stress and creates feelings of happiness and wellbeing. Chronic stress can damage brain cells so anything that chills us out has to be great for our brain.
5. Help us make friends
Socialising stimulates the brain and boosts our mental health. And getting out and about with your pet on walks, to the vet or clubs is the perfect way to meet others and feel more connected.
But what if I can’t look after them anymore?
As we get older, understandably, we have anxiety about what might happen to our pets if we become unable to care for them properly. We might worry about what would happen to them if we have to go into hospital or a care home or even after we pass away. But that’s where The Cinnamon Trust can help.
This amazing national charity can offer anything from free dog walking to foster care while you are in hospital. And if you need to go into a care home they will even find a new carefully vetted home for your beloved pet.
The service is offered to anyone over 65 or people with a terminal illness of all ages.
To find out more call 01736 757 900 or visit their website https://cinnamon.org.uk/
Because with all the benefits pets bring to our lives and health why wouldn’t we want them with us as long as we can?
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