A Healthful Slobber

Did you know that there is a therapy that can universally improve mental health, physical health, and social health? And the main side effect is some slobber and a whole lot of love. Animal companions (aka pets) are widely known to offer these proven health effects. However, there is a disproportionate benefit to young people as animal companionship goes down year after year as we age, and some of that is structural. This past Saturday, I moderated a panel to explore these issues for the incredible At Home With Growing Older.

On the panel were:

• Evan Johnson - a community activator who designs age-positive experiences for all

• Maddie Krasno - an activist who is battling the abuse the primates in research labs

• Sherri Franklin - the founder of Muttville who is saving older dogs from euthanasia by rehoming them

• Annelie Nilsson - a clinical nurse using robotic animals in the hospital to help patients with dementia 

My main takeaway is just how pervasive these structural issues are.  You can “age out” of being able to have a service animal even if you had one your entire life.  Housing designed for seniors often bans them from having animals. And there are overblown issues that animals are dangerous for seniors due to infection and trip hazards.   But these 100% organic and natural “therapies” provide so many benefits, that we need to as a society better understand and design them into our aging experience. 

Here are a few ideas to consider:

• get an older animal.  They often are already well trained, and their “young energy” has dissipated.  This can make them ideal for an older person with less mobility. 

• look for a “cuddle club”:  Muttleville offers this free of charge for anyone who wants cuttle time with dogs.

• visit a cat cafe:  more and more of these are popping up around the world, allowing those who cannot have a cat to get some of the benefits of being around them.

• animal sit:  many owners need reliable animal sitters for short and longer-term needs. This is a great way to get short-term “ownership”-like benefits

• volunteer at a local animal shelter:  many shelters need folks to walk and care for the animals

• animal share: sometimes, more than one owner makes it better for everyone.  My 80-yeald old mom and I cat-share our cat Peter.  He spends the winter with my mom when I travel the most and the rest of the year with me so she can galavant around without worrying about him

• consider a robo-pet: not exactly the same, but even these furry robot alternatives offer similar health benefits. Here are a few: Purrable and Joy for All

Learn more about health benefits of animal companions at Human Animal Bond Research Institute

My 80 year old mom, Susan, with our cat (then kitten) Peter. My mom and I cat share Peter throughout the year. He spends winters in New England, and the rest of the year in California.