Owning a pet goes beyond companionship – it’s a boost for both physical and mental well-being
Studies show that pet owners often experience lower stress levels, reduced blood pressure and improved cardiovascular health, thanks to the calming effects of interacting with animals.
Daily activities like walking a dog, playing with a cat, or caring for small pets like rabbits or fish encourage regular routines that promote relaxation and mindfulness. Aquariums, in particular, can create a serene environment that soothes the mind.
Pets also combat loneliness, providing emotional support, a sense of purpose, and unconditional love that enriches our life in countless ways, and we take our role in feeding and nourishing these much-loved family pets very seriously.
There are many subtle barriers to pet ownership, including in housing, the workplace, the high street, parks and open spaces.
As a result, UK Pet Food urges Government, local authorities, housing providers, employers, landowners and healthcare professionals to value the benefits of pet ownership and support policies and protocols to ensure people (and pets) can benefit from this unique bond.
Ahead of the 2024 General Election, we put together our 'UK Pet Food Manifesto' that outlined the priorities and requests we made to policymakers, to ensure affordable, safe, and nourishing pet food is available for the nation’s 36 million pets in 17.2 million homes across the UK.
The research into human/companion-animal bond is ongoing, something that UK Pet Food fully supports.
A round-up of the science in this area is available on the FEDIAF website.