It is no surprise that the marriage rate has been declining for decades and, in some countries, is at the lowest rate yet.
There are many people choosing not to get married or to rather get married later in life, with many having children later or not at all.
With all those factors decreasing there is an increase of pet owners, where pets are becoming an important part of a family or a couples life.
With that being said, pet parents are not only spending more time with their fur babies, but they are also spending substantially more money on them, whether it be on doggie treats and food or doggie daycare. I mean, let’s face it, they deserve it.
The global pet care industry grew from $216 billion (R3.1 trillion) in 2020 to $232billion in 2021. This trend can easily be seen when sitting around the lunch table with pet parents: just mention something cute that your cat or pup has recently done, and soon, everyone will be talking about their fur babies and sharing pictures and tales.
“For many of us, our pets have become our children, grandchildren – an integral part of our family, with their needs being as important as the human members,” says Marycke Ackhurst, pet behaviour expert from Hill’s Pet Nutrition.
During the pandemic, pet ownership hit record highs around the world, as pets not only provided much-needed companionship but also emotional support.
It is a known fact that dogs are known to help with anxiety, depression and loneliness, which in return has a positive impact on our health by increasing oxytocin, the love hormone.
Studies show the various benefits of owning a pet and includes: Pet owners are less likely to suffer from depression than those without pets.
People with pets have lower blood pressure in stressful situations than those without pets. According to a help guide report, one study found that when people with borderline hypertension adopted dogs from a shelter, their blood pressure declined significantly within five months.
Have you noticed that playing with a dog, cat, or other pet after a long stressful day, how your mood just automatically improves? That’s because it the act itself elevates levels of serotonin and dopamine, which calm and relax.
Pet owners over age 65 make 30 percent fewer visits to their doctors than those without pets.
Many new pet parents will testify to their priorities quickly changing as soon as their new dog or cat arrives in the home, from needing to be home to spend more time with their pet, arranging a pet sitter if they are going out, or choosing to visit pet-friendly restaurants and getaways to including spoils in the trolley.
As stated, you can overcome many of the physical and mental challenges of day to day life with pets. Dogs, cats, and various other pets encourage playfulness, laughter, and exercise, which in the long run benefits you and those around you.
Appreciate your pets a little more. They bring more meaning to life than we can imagine.