Pets aren’t just mere companions, they play an active role in improving their owners’ wellbeing. But what does this connection tell us about our lifestyles? A recent study by the National Veterinary School of Toulouse has gauged how attached French pet owners are to their cats and dogs.

Animals – our best mental health allies

The benefits of an animal’s presence on human health are common knowledge. Many studies associate them with cardiovascular risk reduction and show how they can help reduce stress, especially among people who have a strong emotional bond with their pet.

Dog owners, for example, walk more, have a more active social life, and are less likely to experience depression. Among the elderly, studies suggest that the presence of an animal helps to preserve cognitive abilities, such as memory, as well as morale, while in children it promotes learning empathy and responsibilities.

This link is not only behavioural: it also affects our emotional needs. In a society marked by loneliness, anxiety and aging of the population, a dog or a cat sometimes becomes a real psychological support, capable of creating a sense of stability and usefulness in everyday life.

However, this relationship, which although beneficial in many cases, can also become a source of emotional distress. Some people develop an anxious attachment to their pet, characterised by excessive worry at the thought of separation or when the animal falls ill.

In elderly people, even without acute attachment anxiety, forced separation from their pet due to a hospital stay or admission to a nursing home often represents real trauma, as the animal is part of their emotional equilibrium and daily life.

The human-animal relationship as a therapeutic tool

The positive effects of the human-animal........

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