Pets trigger fundamental human needs like smiling, laughing, and touch. Dogs offer unconditional affirmation that makes you feel seen, while cats signal trust and make you feel chosen. Research shows animals in hospitals and hospice care produce measurable therapeutic benefits.
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If you want to look for the moments in people's lives when they smile or laugh or experience play or experience affectionate touch, right, core human needs, you are most likely to experience those things when you are interacting with an animal, and especially your pet. And they've done studies too looking at places where people are suffering, like in a hospital or in hospice. You bring in an animal and these, these These things just come out of us. We are still capable of smiling, laughing, playing, and engaging in caregiving and affectionate touch. It's a wonderful opportunity we have as humans. Everyone should adopt a pet.
I agree. It's so true. And when you bring in the pet, what's interesting is my resigned, frustrated, exhausted, judgy, pushbacky self goes right out the window. I'm like, you're absolutely right. I do feel better when I see my pet. Yeah. And that's a signal of things that are good. That's a signal of meaning, signal of the good experience of being human, which you said, Dr. McGonigal, is hardwired in you.
I know, and it's a sign of what's good in you too. So especially if you're a dog person, dogs, the way that dogs look at you is what we really all crave, right? We want people to kind of see us for who we are and be like, I'm so glad you are here. And dogs are really good at that. Now, I'm a cat person. What cats are really good at They're good at saying, I trust you. Like, that's a trust-based relationship. When you get a cat who's willing to trust you, it gives you this sense of like, wow, I'm a special person. Like, I created a real bond here. And then when you interact with animals and you feel that way about yourself, you know, it just leaves a sense of that being true outside of just that one relationship. Mm-hmm. What I actually really want people to do Is trust the experiences that give them that feeling.
