{"id":23344,"date":"2021-12-04T18:34:37","date_gmt":"2021-12-04T18:34:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alternatech.net\/?p=23344"},"modified":"2021-12-04T18:34:38","modified_gmt":"2021-12-04T18:34:38","slug":"surprising-health-benefits-of-interacting-with-animals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/writehorizon.com\/surprising-health-benefits-of-interacting-with-animals\/","title":{"rendered":"Surprising Health Benefits of Interacting With Animals"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>What we now know about our relationships with animals will amaze you. Read on to discover some amazing benefits of time spent with animals.\n</p><h4>Handling a Pet Produces a Measurable Drop in Cortisol\n</h4><p><img fetchpriority='\"high\"' decoding='\"async\"' class='\"size-full' wp-image-23355 aligncenter src="%5C%22https:%5C/%5C/alternatech.net%5C/wp-content%5C/uploads%5C/2021%5C/12%5C/benefit-animals-10.jpg%5C%22" alt='\"\"' width='\"966\"' height='\"644\"' srcset='\"https:\/\/writehorizon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/benefit-animals-10.jpg' https: sizes='\"(max-width:'>\n</p><p>All of these feel-good interactions are more than just happy talk. A 2019 study found that there\u2019s hard science behind warm-and-fuzzy interventions like the AVPs: in a randomized trial involving 250 students, researchers measured significant drops in students\u2019 salivary cortisol levels after 10-minute hands-on petting of cats and dogs in an AVP. Study group at the local cat caf\u00e9, anyone?\n</p><h4>Interacting With Animals Can Make Us Better People\n</h4><p><img decoding='\"async\"' class='\"size-full' wp-image-23346 aligncenter src="%5C%22https:%5C/%5C/alternatech.net%5C/wp-content%5C/uploads%5C/2021%5C/12%5C/benefit-animals-1.jpg%5C%22" alt='\"\"' width='\"966\"' height='\"644\"' srcset='\"https:\/\/writehorizon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/benefit-animals-1.jpg' https: sizes='\"(max-width:'>\n</p><p>What do other species mean to us (and vice versa)? To get at the heart of the matter, we turned to Kathy Stevens, co-founder of Catskill Animal Sanctuary \u2014 a 150-acre refuge in New York\u2019s Hudson Valley where, for the past two decades, thousands of animals have found love and peace after lives full of cruelty and neglect. \u201cSpending time with animals reminds us of our responsibility to right the wrongs our species has created, but also of what&rsquo;s important \u2014 love and connection, regardless of outward differences like class or race or species,\u201d she says. \u201cAnimals are teachers and friends, sources of solace and inspiration, and perhaps most importantly, reminders of our moral obligation as caretakers of the planet. That&rsquo;s how they&rsquo;ve changed our lives \u2014 they keep us grounded in what matters.\u201d Read on to meet some of the Sanctuary&rsquo;s residents \u2014 and to learn just how lucky we are to share the planet with them.\n</p><h4>Animals Could Be Therapeutic Aids for Children With Autism\n<figure id='\"attachment_23347\"' aria-describedby='\"caption-attachment-23347\"' style='\"width:' class='\"wp-caption' aligncenter><img decoding='\"async\"' class='\"size-full' wp-image-23347 src="%5C%22https:%5C/%5C/alternatech.net%5C/wp-content%5C/uploads%5C/2021%5C/12%5C/benefit-animals-2.jpg%5C%22" alt='\"\"' width='\"966\"' height='\"725\"' srcset='\"https:\/\/writehorizon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/benefit-animals-2.jpg' https: sizes='\"(max-width:'><figcaption id='\"caption-attachment-23347\"' class='\"wp-caption-text\"'>Laverne, a once-neglected ewe rescued from Massachusetts, gave birth to her lamb, Davey, after arrival and gained fame at Catskill Animal Sanctuary as an ultra-attentive mama.\n<p>In a pioneering Australian study, researchers measured physiological arousal, an indicator of social anxiety, in trios of 5- to 12-year-old children interacting in classroom-like activities such as reading aloud, reading silently, and engaging in play. In peer interactions where guinea pigs were present (as opposed to peer interactions where toys were present), children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) displayed reduced arousal and increased positive emotion \u2014 which leads researchers to believe that animals could function as \u201csocial buffers\u201d in therapeutic settings for them.\n</p><h4>Seeing Birds Can Make Us as Happy as Getting a Raise\n<figure id='\"attachment_23348\"' aria-describedby='\"caption-attachment-23348\"' style='\"width:' class='\"wp-caption' aligncenter><img loading='\"lazy\"' decoding='\"async\"' class='\"size-full' wp-image-23348 src="%5C%22https:%5C/%5C/alternatech.net%5C/wp-content%5C/uploads%5C/2021%5C/12%5C/benefit-animals-3.jpg%5C%22" alt='\"\"' width='\"966\"' height='\"725\"' srcset='\"https:\/\/writehorizon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/benefit-animals-3.jpg' https: sizes='\"(max-width:'><figcaption id='\"caption-attachment-23348\"' class='\"wp-caption-text\"'>Sabine and Giselle survived a fall from a transport truck on the highway. They\u2019re now the best of friends and enjoy life on the Sanctuary\u2019s pond.\n<p>If you\u2019ve experienced the pandemic-era thrill of discovery at the end of a pair of binoculars, you\u2019re in good company. To learn more about that thrill, scientists from the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research crunched the numbers from a survey of 26,000 people in 26 European countries. They found that a 10 percent increase in species diversity \u2014 that is, seeing 14 additional bird species in their vicinity \u2014 increased respondents\u2019 life satisfaction at least as much as 10 percent more money in their household accounts each month. If rare birds don\u2019t flock to your neighborhood, don\u2019t despair: English researchers have found that bird abundance (as opposed to variety) is associated with lower levels of negative mental health indicators.\n</p><h4>Spending Time on a Farm Can Protect Against Childhood Asthma\n<figure id='\"attachment_23349\"' aria-describedby='\"caption-attachment-23349\"' style='\"width:' class='\"wp-caption' aligncenter><img loading='\"lazy\"' decoding='\"async\"' class='\"size-full' wp-image-23349 src="%5C%22https:%5C/%5C/alternatech.net%5C/wp-content%5C/uploads%5C/2021%5C/12%5C/benefit-animals-4.jpg%5C%22" alt='\"\"' width='\"966\"' height='\"725\"' srcset='\"https:\/\/writehorizon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/benefit-animals-4.jpg' https: sizes='\"(max-width:'><figcaption id='\"caption-attachment-23349\"' class='\"wp-caption-text\"'>Merida and Kevin were rescued from neglect. Now that they\u2019re all grown up, you can find them delighting in mud baths in warmer months.\n<p>Colonizing bacteria known as microbiota \u201ceducate\u201d our immune systems in how to respond to the outside world. German scientists analyzed bacteria samples from more than 700 infants who spent part of their earliest months on traditional farms and found that those youngsters had especially mature and effective gut bacteria \u2014 gut bacteria that could actually help protect their lungs (and help explain why children who grow up on a farm have a lower risk of developing allergies and asthma).\n</p><h4>Visiting Animals Where They Live Is Good for Your Gut\n</h4><p><img loading='\"lazy\"' decoding='\"async\"' class='\"size-full' wp-image-23350 aligncenter src="%5C%22https:%5C/%5C/alternatech.net%5C/wp-content%5C/uploads%5C/2021%5C/12%5C/benefit-animals-5.jpg%5C%22" alt='\"\"' width='\"966\"' height='\"644\"' srcset='\"https:\/\/writehorizon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/benefit-animals-5.jpg' https: sizes='\"(max-width:'>\n</p><p>German researchers were especially surprised to discover the positive environmental effects of \u201cfarm-related exposures\u201d like time spent in barns and sheds where animals feed and sleep; could a day trip to a local farm sanctuary be in the cards for you and your new arrival this fall? Put another way (in a discussion of a study that found diverse microbes in Amish babies\u2019 systems), \u201cToo clean is not necessarily a good thing.\u201d\n</p><h4>Having Pets Early in Life Can Reduce Kids\u2019 Risk of Allergies\n<figure id='\"attachment_23351\"' aria-describedby='\"caption-attachment-23351\"' style='\"width:' class='\"wp-caption' aligncenter><img loading='\"lazy\"' decoding='\"async\"' class='\"size-full' wp-image-23351 src="%5C%22https:%5C/%5C/alternatech.net%5C/wp-content%5C/uploads%5C/2021%5C/12%5C/benefit-animals-6.jpg%5C%22" alt='\"\"' width='\"966\"' height='\"725\"' srcset='\"https:\/\/writehorizon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/benefit-animals-6.jpg' https: sizes='\"(max-width:'><figcaption id='\"caption-attachment-23351\"' class='\"wp-caption-text\"'>Barbie the hen was found in Brooklyn under a parked car. She\u2019s pictured with Rambo, a free-roaming Sanctuary sheep who would check on the other animals before he turned in for the night.\n<p>The so-called \u201cmini-farm effect,\u201d observed when exposure to a wide variety of microbes and other \u201cimmunoregulatory factors\u201d like dog and cat allergens leads to a child\u2019s eventual tolerance of other common allergens (i.e. food and airborne irritants like dust and pollen), has also been reported among children in Sweden. Researchers analyzed data from more than 1,000 young subjects and found that there was a dose-dependent association between having dogs and cats in a household and tolerance to allergic disease \u2014 so cohabiting with more cats and dogs reduces risk and increases their beneficial effect.\n</p><h4>A Goat\u2019s Gaze Could Cause a Happiness-Hormone Spike\n<figure id='\"attachment_23352\"' aria-describedby='\"caption-attachment-23352\"' style='\"width:' class='\"wp-caption' aligncenter><img loading='\"lazy\"' decoding='\"async\"' class='\"size-full' wp-image-23352 src="%5C%22https:%5C/%5C/alternatech.net%5C/wp-content%5C/uploads%5C/2021%5C/12%5C/benefit-animals-7.jpg%5C%22" alt='\"\"' width='\"966\"' height='\"966\"' srcset='\"https:\/\/writehorizon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/benefit-animals-7.jpg' https: sizes='\"(max-width:'><figcaption id='\"caption-attachment-23352\"' class='\"wp-caption-text\"'>Violet was born at the Sanctuary shortly after her mother was rescued. Don\u2019t let that modest gaze fool you: She became an instant kid star when a video of her climbing a rock went viral.\n<p>Scientists have known for some time that the &ldquo;puppy-dog eyes&rdquo; our canine pals give us can increase our levels of the feel-good cuddle hormone oxytocin, and that the loving looks we give them in return cause their oxytocin levels to increase. (Known as a \u201cpositive loop,\u201d it\u2019s heralded as one of the reasons the human-canine bond is so close.) Recent research is demonstrating that goats are also capable of responding to human expressions and our emotional cues, as well as looking to us for help in problem-solving \u2014 and study authors speculate that their loving looks might be just as loaded. When it comes to being humankind&rsquo;s best friend, could goats have had the potential to be the G.O.A.T. all along?\n</p><h4>Horses Offer Support for Psychotherapy Patients\n<figure id='\"attachment_23353\"' aria-describedby='\"caption-attachment-23353\"' style='\"width:' class='\"wp-caption' aligncenter><img loading='\"lazy\"' decoding='\"async\"' class='\"size-full' wp-image-23353 src="%5C%22https:%5C/%5C/alternatech.net%5C/wp-content%5C/uploads%5C/2021%5C/12%5C/benefit-animals-8.jpg%5C%22" alt='\"\"' width='\"966\"' height='\"725\"' srcset='\"https:\/\/writehorizon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/benefit-animals-8.jpg' https: sizes='\"(max-width:'><figcaption id='\"caption-attachment-23353\"' class='\"wp-caption-text\"'>When rescuers first met Cricket, she was chained to a tree. Her caregivers report that her new life has helped her completely forget her old one \u2014 and that she can now be \u201cquite bossy\u201d!\n<p>As providers of both physical and psychological support for humans, horses have an astounding history: they have been aids in therapeutic treatment since the second century, and there are now 26 different ways interacting with horses can be medically beneficial to people. A systematic review published last year in Environmental Research and Public Health highlighted the emerging and promising science of equine-assisted psychotherapy (EAP) for patients with trauma and personality problems. Research shows that interventions with horses\u2019 assistance could positively influence patient-caregiver trust, offer strong motivation to continue therapy and help patients develop resilience \u2014 all crucial aids for groups that tend to drop out of care and have low expectations of treatment.\n</p><h4>Interacting With Animals Reduces Stress in Students\n</h4><p><img loading='\"lazy\"' decoding='\"async\"' class='\"size-full' wp-image-23354 aligncenter src="%5C%22https:%5C/%5C/alternatech.net%5C/wp-content%5C/uploads%5C/2021%5C/12%5C/benefit-animals-9.jpg%5C%22" alt='\"\"' width='\"966\"' height='\"725\"' srcset='\"https:\/\/writehorizon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/benefit-animals-9.jpg' https: sizes='\"(max-width:'>\n</p><p>As of 2015, more than 1,000 American colleges had animal visitation programs (or AVPs) available to calm the minds of students and administrators alike. AVPs generally last between five and 45 minutes and can range from interactions with therapy dogs or staffers\u2019 pets to extended sessions with adoptable animals from local shelters. Those meet and greets have been associated with everything from higher positive emotions, reduction in negative emotions, lower perceived stress and mood improvements.\n</p><p>Rescuers saved both Scout and Zeke&rsquo;s lives. Scout (left) has become the benevolent leader of the herd, and is often the first to approach visitors.\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"</p><p>What we now know about our relationships with animals will amaze you. Read on to discover some amazing benefits of time spent with animals. Handling a Pet Produces a Measurable Drop in Cortisol All of these feel-good interactions are more than just happy talk. A 2019 study found that there\u2019s hard science behind warm-and-fuzzy interventions\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":23345,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[118,110,115,111],"class_list":{"0":"post-23344","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-tie-life-style","8":"tag-facts","9":"tag-healthy-life","10":"tag-healthy-lifestyle","11":"tag-pet"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/writehorizon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/benefit-animals.png","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/writehorizon.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23344","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/writehorizon.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/writehorizon.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writehorizon.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writehorizon.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23344"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/writehorizon.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23344\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writehorizon.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/23345"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/writehorizon.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23344"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writehorizon.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23344"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writehorizon.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23344"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}</p></figcaption></figure></h4></figcaption></figure></h4></figcaption></figure></h4></figcaption></figure></h4></figcaption></figure></h4></figcaption></figure></h4>