Does Pet Ownership Improve Your Health? What a Swiss Survey Found

Does Pet Ownership Improve Your Health?

If you live with a dog or cat, you have probably heard that pet ownership is good for your health. Headlines, friends, and wellness accounts often claim animals reduce stress, fight loneliness, and lift mood. But a representative survey of 2,328 adults in Switzerland examined pet ownership health outcomes alongside measures of wellbeing, loneliness, and social support, and the findings were not what most people expect. Pet owners in the survey described slightly lower overall health and somewhat more unhealthy behavior compared to people without animals. At the same time, no meaningful differences emerged for loneliness, life satisfaction, or psychological wellbeing between the two groups. So what does the evidence actually show about pets and health?¹

That question matters because welcoming an animal into your home is a lasting commitment. It involves daily time, money, and attention, sometimes stretching across many years. Some people get a pet partly because they believe it will improve their wellbeing. Others discover the bond brings unexpected comfort. Before making or continuing that choice, it helps to understand what research does and does not support about the real connection between animals and human health.

What Owners Reported About Their Health

The Swiss research team compared people who owned pets with those who did not, drawing on data from a nationwide survey of 2,328 adults. After accounting for background differences such as age, gender, education level, and household size, pet owners rated their overall health slightly lower. They also described somewhat more unhealthy habits in their daily routines, though the survey did not specify which habits these were.¹

• Self-rated health was slightly lower among people with pets.¹
• Unhealthy behavior appeared somewhat more common among pet owners.¹
• Healthcare use showed no clear difference between the two groups.¹
• Human social support levels were about the same regardless of pet ownership.¹

No Clear Wellbeing Differences

When the researchers turned to loneliness, life satisfaction, and psychological wellbeing, the picture was different from what many people assume. There was no meaningful gap between people with pets and those without. The two groups scored similarly on feeling connected, feeling content, and feeling emotionally well in everyday life. This held steady across different types of analysis.

The same pattern appeared when looking at social support from other people. Pet owners did not report having more friends, closer family ties, or stronger community connections than non-owners. Having an animal at home did not seem to expand or shrink the human support network in any clear way. This challenges another common idea: that pets naturally help you meet people or feel more connected to your surroundings. The data simply did not back that up.¹

Regular Animal Contact Alone Did Not Help

The survey also explored a related question. What about people who have regular contact with animals but do not own one? Some researchers have wondered whether visiting a friend's dog or spending time at an animal shelter provides similar benefits to owning one. Here too, the results were flat. Those with regular animal contact showed no better health, no fewer unhealthy habits, and no higher wellbeing or social support than people who rarely interacted with animals.

This was true regardless of how the researchers grouped the data. Whether looking at overall health, specific habits, or emotional measures, regular contact with animals on its own did not stand out as a meaningful factor. Simply being around animals was not enough to show a clear pattern. The finding suggests that casual or occasional time with animals is not the same as a lived, daily bond.¹

What About the Human-Animal Bond?

So what did actually matter? The researchers looked more closely at the quality of each person's relationship with their animal, rather than just whether they owned one. Two factors showed up in some analyses. The amount of socio-emotional support someone felt from their pet, meaning how much comfort and connection the bond provided, was sometimes tied to better wellbeing. Spending more time with the animal also appeared relevant in certain results. In other words, how you experience the bond may matter more than the fact of having one.

Interestingly, the species of animal and the owner's degree of emotional attachment were not consistently linked to health or wellbeing outcomes. A deeply attached cat owner and a less attached dog owner showed no clear difference on these measures. What seemed to matter more was how the relationship functioned in practice. The survey also found that women, dog owners, and those who spent more time with their animals tended to describe stronger feelings of attachment and greater perceived emotional support from their pets.¹

Pet Ownership Health in Everyday Life

What does all of this mean for you? The evidence does not say pets are harmful or that you should avoid them. Nor does it promise that getting a pet will make you healthier. Instead, it suggests that the link between animals and human wellbeing is more nuanced than popular messages often imply. Pet ownership health outcomes seem to depend partly on what the relationship with the animal actually looks like in practice, not just whether a pet shares your home. It is a personal question, not a simple formula.¹

Rather than asking whether a pet will improve your health, you might consider what your animal relationship actually offers you day to day. Does your pet give you comfort after a hard day? Does walking your dog add some movement to your routine? Does caring for an animal bring structure to your mornings or a reason to get outside? Those personal details may matter far more than the simple question of whether you count as a pet owner. Whatever the research finds, your own experience of the relationship remains valuable.

Key Terms Explained

Pet ownership

Living with an animal in your home on a regular, ongoing basis. This can include dogs, cats, birds, rabbits, or other companion animals.

Health status

How a person rates their own overall physical condition. In surveys, people typically choose from a scale ranging from poor to excellent.

Health behavior

Everyday habits like physical activity, eating patterns, sleep, and lifestyle routines. Researchers examine whether these habits look different between pet owners and non-owners.

Socio-emotional support from an animal

The comfort, companionship, and emotional connection a person feels from their pet. This is about the quality of the bond, not just whether an animal is physically present.

Wellbeing measures

Survey questions that ask about loneliness, life satisfaction, and emotional health. These capture how a person feels about their life, not just their body.

Things You Can Try

Everyday Things to Notice

• Notice what your animal relationship gives you day to day. Pay attention to moments of comfort, routine, or gentle movement that your pet brings into your ordinary life.
• If you are thinking about getting a pet, spend time with that type of animal first. Visit a friend with a dog or cat and notice how the contact feels.
• Focus on the quality of time you spend with your animal. Short, attentive moments of connection may matter more than long stretches of passive presence in the same room.
• Talk openly with other pet owners about their real experiences. Honest conversations can offer more useful perspective than broad general claims about animals and health.
• If you already have a pet, reflect on what the relationship offers you. No study can replace your own sense of what the bond brings to your daily life.
• If caring for your pet ever feels heavy, talk to someone you trust about it. An honest conversation about challenges is just as valuable as one about joys.

Where This Evidence Comes From