Dogs, cats, and other furry or feathered companions are important parts of our families. They bring us joy, alleviate stress, provide companionship, and encourage us to live more active lifestyles. With two in three American households owning a pet, researchers are uncovering extra, unlikely benefits for the brain.
People who own pets are less lonely — a major risk factor for dementia — and people who own pets are less likely to get a cognitive decline or dementia diagnosis.
How can pet ownership reduce your risk of dementia and cognitive decline?
In 2023, Japanese researchers published a study that looked at 11,194 older adults to see whether owning dogs or cats provided a protective effect against dementia.
Compared to those without pets, dog owners were 40 percent less likely to develop dementia over a four year period. Additionally, dog owners who were social or exercised regularly experienced an extra 20 percent decrease in dementia risk. The study didn’t find evidence that owning cats had a similar effect.
Chinese researchers published a similar study last year, also looking at the link between pet ownership and cognitive decline. The study’s participants received psychological tests to assess their memory, verbal fluency, and thinking eight years apart. The cohort was composed of 7,495 adults over the age of 50 living in the UK.
Owning a cat or dog was associated with a slower rate of cognitive decline among individuals living alone. However, older adults living with other people saw no significant benefit, which suggests that companionship from dogs or cats could offset some of the negative effects of living alone.
This field of research is still very new, and for people who have already developed Alzheimer’s or dementia, there isn’t a lot of research yet on how interactions with pets or trained therapy animals affect further cognitive decline.
Despite the lack of research, many long-term care facilities have also started implementing animal-assisted therapy for their residents, facilitated by certified handlers and trained dogs. Dogs can still improve residents’ quality of life and have been shown to offer stress-reducing benefits. Spending time with a furry friend could ease agitation, aggression, depression, and even help residents cope with sundowning, emotional and behavioral issues that worsen as daytime fades.
While more research is needed to determine whether adopting pets can have a protective effect on the brains of isolated older adults, pet ownership can offer many benefits to your emotional and physical health.
