Pets are family! And like any family member, their well-being and happiness hinges on having a close bond with the rest of the family. Pets who experience plenty of our loving affection will feel secure in their home and are less likely to experience stress. Therefore, bonding with pets is not just a fun pastime, it’s an important health-promoting activity.

The Mental Health Benefits of Bonding with Pets

Bonding with pets benefits them in multiple ways. It may help reduce anxiety and combat loneliness and boredom.

When your pet feels close to you, their anxiety levels lessen. They trust that you’re there to protect them, leading to fewer fear-based behaviors. For pets with a history of trauma, bonding is even more important. Your presence can help them feel safe and let go of past fears.

The act of bonding is a benefit itself. The quality time you spend together socializing helps your pet feel like a part of the family, leading them to become more confident and secure. For pets without furry siblings or spend a lot of time alone, one on one interaction helps abate loneliness.

Finally, spending quality time together helps to reduce boredom while increasing mental stimulation. Boredom is a common source of frustration in pets. Without engagement, they can become restless, causing unwanted behavior or withdrawing. Try bonding through activities that stimulate them mentally and physically, keeping their minds active – they’ll be less likely to get into trouble.

The Physical Health Benefits of Bonding with Pets

There are physical health benefits of bonding with pets as well. Bonding increases their physical activity, strengthens the immune system, and promotes healthy aging.

Bonding with you through walks and playtime keeps your dog active and healthy. Exercise helps maintain muscle strength, keeps joints limber, and prevents obesity. The more time you spend together, the more your dog can burn off energy!

Spending quality time with your dog also boosts their immune system. When dogs feel safe and loved, their stress levels drop. Less stress means a stronger immune system, so they’re less likely to get sick.

For senior dogs, bonding helps them to age more gracefully by encouraging movement. Healthy activity can keep joints nimble and reduce the risk of arthritis. As if this weren’t enough of a benefit, don’t forget that you will also get some healthy exercise through bonding with your pet, too!

Ways to Strengthen Your Bond

Bonding with pets doesn’t have to be complicated. Plenty of easy and accessible activities can help strengthen your fur kiddo’s friendship with you.

• Playtime: Playing a game together requires lots of non-verbal communication and trust (that you won’t cheat!). Try tug-of-war, hide-and-seek, or fetch, which can stimulate your pet’s mind and body while also providing quality time together.
  
  
• Training: As much as it can seem like the opposite, pets enjoy structure and challenges. Training sessions foster opportunities for communication and trust.
  
  
• Grooming: In the wild, grooming is one of the major bonding activities. Regular grooming not only feels good for your pet, but it also signals that you care about their well-being. As a bonus, it helps to prevent hairballs in cats.
  
  
• Respect their boundaries: Your pet should follow your lead, but they should never feel like they don’t have any agency. Don’t force interactions that might make them uncomfortable, and always observe their body language.

Not only does keeping your fur kiddo happy make them healthy, it keeps you healthy, too. How? Research suggests that spending time with pets can decrease your cortisol levels (the stress hormone) and reduce blood pressure!

Keeping Your Fur Kiddo Happy and Healthy

Bonding with pets is a great way to decrease their stress and improve their immune system. In addition to plenty of love and bonding, natural supplements may be added to their care routine.

• Lesstress: Lesstress is a natural formula that may help fur kiddos reduce their anxiety
  
  
• Turmeric: NHV Turmeric offers inflammation support for times of increased stress.
  
  
• Alge Ex: NHV Stimmune may help pets’ whose allergies are related or caused by stress.

Not sure where to start? Your friendly neighborhood NHV Pet Expert can be contacted by using the “Chat Now” button below. We love helping fur kiddos feel their best, and we can’t wait to meet yours!