Owning a pet serves as a wonderful way to rediscover a sense of purpose. It helps people feel needed and wanted. After all, most people can’t help but smile when their dog greets them with their tail wagging or their cat curls up cozily on their lap.
Providing for an animal’s needs by going to the pet store or taking a dog for a walk helps reduce seniors’ social isolation by encouraging them to get out into the world. They may meet new friends at a dog park or at the pet store when they go to buy more birdseed.
If a cat or dog is too expensive or needy, consider a more low-maintenance pet like a fish. Even these critters can provide mental and physical benefits. A study at Purdue University found that people with Alzheimer’s disease are calmer, focus better on eating, and digest their food more easily when they eat their meals in front of a fish tank.