Pets can boost your brain power, study says

A proposed state bill would create a 'Dog and Cat Bill of Rights' and guarantee certain rights for dogs and cats.

Why did having pets for more than five years have the most positive impact? The study, which could only show an association, not a direct cause and effect between pet ownership and cognition, was unable to answer that question. There can also be a multitude of other brain benefits from pet ownership, such as social companionship and a sense of duty and purpose, experts say.

Anyone with cognitive decline at the start of the research was excluded from the analysis. In the final sample, over 53% owned pets. Pet owners tended to be of higher socioeconomic status, which could also be a reason for the benefits: Experts say people with more income are more likely to visit doctors and take care of their health.

Does this mean you should run right out and get a pet if you're an older adult interested in preserving your brain? Not necessarily, experts say. Studies have also shown that pet owners can be lonely, depressed and have chronic conditions that may make pet ownership a negative.

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