We all know intuitively that pets are good for us. They fill our hearts with joy, and their quiet companionship fills the coldest nights with the warmth of unconditional love.

Still, it's nice to know that our intuitions are grounded in rock-solid scientific fact.

We all know that walking our pets helps to calm us down and re-center us. Studies around the world have demonstrated that the impact of a stressful situation is less on pet owners than on non-pet-owners (e.g., Josephine M. Wills, Waltham Centre for Pet Nutrition, United Kingdom; The Healing Power of Pets by Marty Becker, etc.). Research by Dr. Karen Allen of SUNY (Buffalo) found that pet owners' blood pressure was lower at resting (baseline) than non-pet owners, as was their reactivity (increase in hear rate and blood pressure reacting to stress). -- and was even better when in the presence of their pets!

It gets better: twenty years ago, the National Institutes of Health found that pet ownership impacts greater mental and social stability for pet owners, and this mental shield can offer a measure of protection from heart disease. They also found pet ownership to correlate with frequency of doctor's-office visits (pet owners had fewer -- whether because they are actually sick less, or because they already  have a sympathetic ear whenever they want it has yet to be determined).

The benefits of pets in fighting depression have also been broadly covered. Pets offer opportunities for exercise, establish responsibility and a routine, allow anyone to express affection, and of course, they come with that good ol' unconditional love.

Since pets offer us so many benefits to our own health, we owe it to them to ensure them a long and healthy life themselves. Regular checkups with the veterinarian will keep your favored pet in the peak of health, and ensure they're around a good long time -- so you can be too!