Is a Dog or a Cat Better at Relieving Loneliness?

Would you believe it if somebody told you that if you want to live longer you should get a pet? Not just any pet, but specifically a dog—especially if you are getting on in years? It turns out that this advice is the culmination of a series of studies, the most recent of which was conducted by an international team of researchers headed by André Hajek at the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, in Germany.

A Psychosocial Risk Factor

To understand the significance of these new data, we have to first understand an often overlooked factor that influences our life span. Human beings are social creatures. It is our connection to others that enables us to survive and thrive. Unfortunately, as we age, many of us find ourselves spending more time alone than we did when we were younger. This is especially true for older populations. Seniors have often already lost numerous friends, relatives, spouses, and family members. Health problems are more common as we age, and these may affect our mobility and, thus, also reduce our social contacts. The end result is that, with increased age, we become more susceptible to social isolation and loneliness. A meta-analysis of seniors from a number of countries shows that the overall prevalence of major feelings of loneliness is 29 percent, and the prevalence of loneliness reaches nearly one out of every three (32 percent) when we consider adults aged older than 75.

Loneliness Kills

Believe it or not, loneliness is a risk factor, and those suffering from it are susceptible to higher rates of a variety of physical and mental problems including high blood pressure, heart disease, a weakened immune system, obesity, anxiety, depression, and cognitive declines including Alzheimer's disease, and, as a consequence of all of these, an increased risk of death.

The numbers are quite startling. Social isolation and loneliness were associated with a 32 percent higher risk of all causes of mortality (as well as an increased risk of death due to cancer) according to an analysis of 90 published studies that included more than 2 million adults aged 18 years or older.

Now some of you are apt to be a bit skeptical at this point since you are likely thinking that loneliness may be an uncomfortable psychological state, but certainly simply feeling lonely can't have all of these negative physical impacts. But there actually is a powerful neurophysiological link between this mental state and a person's physical status.

Being socially isolated or lonely can be considered a form of stress. Like most forms of stress, this activates a system of responses involving the hypothalamus, pituitary, and adrenal glands. The end result of this is the release of stress hormones, specifically the corticosteroids like cortisol. It is the long-term exposure to these stress hormones that can cause damage to the immune system, cardiovascular system, and other normal functions, and it is this that ultimately increases the likelihood of complications that may result in death.

However, if this is true, then the good news is that if we can take care of the root cause of the stress (loneliness in this case), then we should be able to improve longevity.

Pets and Loneliness in Older People

The aim of this most recent study was to examine whether there is an association between different types of pet ownership and psychosocial outcomes (such as loneliness). It used data from the "Old Age in Germany" study which involves data from a large representative sample of individuals 80 years of age or older, all residing in Germany. The data collection was done through the University of Cologne and involved written and telephone surveys resulting in a large sample (2867 individuals) of people living both at home and in nursing homes.

The participants were divided into five groups based on pet ownership: (1) no pet ownership, (2) having at least one dog (but no other pets), (3) having at least one cat (but no other pets), (4) having at least one other pet (but neither dogs nor cats), or (5) having at least two different types of pets (in any combination).

Although this report contained extensive statistical analyses, the main results are quite easy to describe, as the authors indicate: "Our key finding: We observed a robust association between having at least one dog (compared to the absence of pets) and lower loneliness levels, whereas other forms of pet ownership did not achieve statistical significance in a robust way."

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In other words, owning a dog significantly reduced loneliness levels in these older individuals, while owning a cat or other pets did not. Since loneliness is associated with shortened lifespans, the implications are clear: A pet dog may be a lifesaver.

The Issue of Dogs Compared to Cats

Why might a dog be more beneficial, when it comes to relieving loneliness, than a cat? The authors point out that this may be explained by the levels of social interaction we have with these two species. Dogs overall tend to be much more demanding of social attention than cats and more responsive to social interplay. They also typically encourage their owners to get out and walk with them, and such walks may involve socializing with neighbors, passersby, children, and others who might want to stop to admire or pet the dog.

Caring for a dog may give seniors a sense of purpose and responsibility, which may lead to lower loneliness levels. Furthermore, there are a lot of data that note that people speak to their dogs in much the way that we might speak to a young child, and even though these conversations are one-sided, they do provide the feeling of a meaningful social interaction.

In addition, dogs may provide emotional support, offering companionship and affection without any judgment or negative reaction. It is this kind of behavior that results in people feeling comforted and less isolated and alone when with a dog. Specifically, dogs will generally look at someone who is speaking to them and seem to be paying attention in a manner that cats may be less likely to do. This may be the reason why there are many therapy dogs and few formally recognized therapy cats.

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