As a homesteader, chances are you are an animal lover too, and if that’s the case, we have got some great news for you — the health benefits of pets on your homestead are numerous, and being around them can work wonders.
Okay, but which pets are the best?
Dogs
Dogs are man’s best friend with very good reason. Not only are they faithful companions, and useful for helping out on the homestead, but they have been proven to ease symptoms of anxiety, stress, and depression, lower blood pressure and cholesterol and reduce their owners’ risk of heart disease — and that is the tip of the iceberg.
If you were ever looking for an excuse to add a dog to your family, I think we’ve given you a few excellent ones right there!
Cats
Cats are more aloof than dogs, but they are just as cute, and more importantly, they are almost as good for us as our precious pooches. What can cats do for our health?
They can lower our stress responses for one thing. They can also lower our blood pressure and decrease the odds that we will have a heart attack by as much as 40 percent too!
You can be very entertained by your cats also which helps to reduce stress. Buy your feline friends a cat tree and watch how much fun you and your cats have! Check out the reviews for cat trees at Petovly.
Fish
Always wanted to get an African cichlid tank or a few koi carp for the garden pond? Now you have the perfect excuse.
You see, watching fish provides us with a very healthy distraction. They are so beautiful and so mesmerizing that if we sit and watch them for just 20 minutes, they can lower our stress levels significantly.
You can also set up an aquarium tank inside your home with fishes like Bettas. add it
In fact, patients at the dentist found that watching fish swimming in their tank for just 20 minutes was as effective at lowering their stress levels as being hypnotized by a professional!
You can even turn an old swimming pool into a fish pond for your yard and watch freshwater fish swim anytime you would like. What a great way to spend more time outside in the backyard too.
Birds
Birds are beautiful, funny, and surprisingly good for our health. They provide us with a link to nature that helps to calm us when we are stressed. This is one of the many health benefits of pets.
More importantly, they provide us with companionship and a listening ear than never talks back, which is why you should spend more time out with the chickens!
Birds are easy to maintain, and trust me there is nothing sweeter than to hear that little canary singing its little heart out during the day. Think about how you feel to hear the birds chirping outside your window on a spring day.
Horses
Have one or more horses on the homestead? You may be interested to know that spending time with those magnificent creatures could be doing your health the world of good.
When you are able to control a horse, it gives you more self-confidence and a feeling that you can take more control of your own life. This is one of the greatest health benefits of pets.
Not only that but horses are great listeners, and studies have shown that being with horses can reduce stress hormones in kids. That’s why they are so often used in therapeutic settings. Besides, what child doesn’t like a horse.
Final Thoughts on the Health Benefits of Pets
Pets really are amazing. Spend more time with them and your life will be all the better for it. Knowing the health benefits of pets on your homestead should make you want to include some of these animals in your menagerie!
What pets do you have on your homestead? Can you share the health benefits of pets for your health at your homestead?
