Owning a pet has effects on your brain that you may never have known.
PhD student Jennifer Applebaum from the Department of Sociology and Criminology at the University of Florida has been studying the ways pet ownership makes a difference on your brain function.
Turns out that having pets will stave off memory loss and cognitive decline. The effect was most noticeable with dog and cat owners, but pets such as birds, fish and other smaller animals also benefited their owners.
Interacting with pets can reduce stress levels, and keep blood pressure low, which might be why they help with memory function.