Good news for many pets owners. Regular interaction with an animal will improve your health and reduce your medical bills. If you are considering getting a pet, this will be another good point to add to your consideration.

A study found that pet owners gained health benefits and visited the doctor 10 per cent less than those without pets. The health benefits dipped for those owners whose pets died during the survey and increased for those who acquired a pet.

Dr Bruce Headey, a principal research fellow at the Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, said "But I guess I was surprised to find that it was the pet that changed them; people with pets were better off than people without them. When a pet died people's health decreased; when they got a pet for the first time their health improved and it appeared that it didn't matter what sort of pet it was, from horses to goldfish or dogs and cats. I had thought it would mainly be dogs who offered a health benefit because of the exercise that often comes with them, but it seems the companionship is amore important issue than exercise,"

Link