CATS AND DOGS CAN INFLUENCE THE MOOD OF STRESSED OWNERS, STUDY FINDS

New research investigated how coexistence with dogs and cats can influence people's mood in times of stress, and the results brought important nuances to this relationship.

The study, carried out by a team from the Netherlands and published in the scientific journal Frontiers in Psychology, analyzed everyday interactions between owners and their pets to understand whether these moments act as a kind of "emotional protection" against stress.

Study analyzed real-time routine Unlike research based only on general questionnaires, the survey used a real-time sampling method, in which participants answered questions throughout the day through an application.

In total, 188 people with dogs and/or cats participated in the study, totaling thousands of daily records about mood, routine and interaction with animals.

The data allowed us to observe how small everyday interactions influence the emotional state in different contexts.

Interaction with pets generates positive emotions, but does not "block" stress

Overall, the results showed that interacting with pets is associated with more positive emotions and a reduction in negative feelings.

However, the study points out that this effect does not exactly work as a direct stress buffer.

In other words, being with your pet can improve your mood at the moment, but it does not necessarily prevent the impact of stressful situations from being felt.

Interactions with pets are associated with variations in mood in moments of daily tension

Differences between dogs and cats draw attention The research also analyzed separately the impact of interactions with dogs and cats.

In the case of dogs, the results indicated a more stable association: the interaction did not increase negative emotions in times of stress, but it also did not significantly reduce these feelings.

A more sensitive difference was observed among cat owners: in situations of greater stress, more intense interaction with the animal was linked to a stronger increase in negative emotions.

The researchers, however, highlight that this relationship is not definitive and should be interpreted with caution, as the group of cat owners in the study was smaller.

What does this mean in practice? According to the authors, the data suggests that the emotional effect of pets may be more complex than previously imagined.

Rather than acting as a simple "neutralizer" of stress, the presence and interaction with animals can influence the emotional state in different ways depending on the context and even the species of animal.

Still, the study reinforces that living with pets is associated, in general, with more moments of positive affection in everyday life.

Relationship between humans and animals continues to be investigated. Researchers highlight that there is still no single explanation for the differences observed between dogs and cats.

New studies should delve deeper into how factors such as the animal's behavior, owner's profile and intensity of interaction influence these emotional effects.

Source: Antena 1