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Any species which are not domesticated mammals
- For the purposes of this review, any species which are not domesticated mammals (specifically dogs, cats, and horses) will be defined as “non-conventional companion animals”, focusing this inquiry onto species largely neglected by human–animal bond research.
pdfs.semanticscholar.org/0e24/5af63d3f16ea43bf47236d012fb5e56e8a33.pdfHuman Health Benefits of Non-Conventional Companion Animals ...
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Dec 21, 2022 · Non-conventional companion animals may benefit their guardians by providing social support through acting as attachment figures, facilitating social opportunities and daily routines, fulfilling cognitive needs, and recreating restorative capacities of mindfully observing natural landscapes.
Nov 16, 2022 · This review identified empirical studies and newspaper articles which examined health benefits from bonds with any animal species that was not cat, dog, or horse. We found studies on the health benefits of bonds with companion birds, fish, snakes, tortoises, insects, and amphibians.
- 3.1. Companionship and Attachment
- 3.1.2. Fish as Companions
- 3.6. Physiological Benefits
- 4. Discussion
- Strengths and Limitations
- 5. Conclusions
- Informed Consent Statement: Not applicable.
- Appendix A
The most consistently reported benefit of keeping any species of companion animal was the companionship provided by the animal, with a total of 17 included peer-reviewed studies reporting that companionship provided by and attachment to companion animals were benefits of bonds with companion animals. Anthropomorphism of companion animals was freque...
Riddick [54] conducted a non-randomized control trial in which she tested the effects of giving aquaria stocked with companion fish to elderly people living in low-income subsidized housing on blood pressure, leisure satisfaction, and relaxation states. This study has been included in the review as the fish were introduced in a domestic setting wit...
Some included studies commented on physiological benefits derived from bonds with studied companion animals. Riddick’s [54] controlled trial testing the effects of goldfish aquaria on participants’ blood pressure and mental states found limited evidence for the physiological benefits of non-conventional companion animals. Participants in the experi...
There are numerous animals providing attachment, social support, and links to nature, but for which little, weak or no empirical evidence of human health benefits deriving from these functions exist. For example, the selected articles from commercial media showed anecdotal evidence for rats and rabbits providing mental health benefits to their huma...
To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first review of health benefits provided by bonds with non-conventional companion animals. Consequently, this study provides a novel perspective for further inquiry into human–animal bonds with more diverse species. How-ever, there are some limitations inherent in the design of narrative reviews. Only articles...
The available literature on the health benefits of bonds with household companion animals other than dogs and cats is sparse but shows the potential for measurable improve-ments to people’s health and animals’ capacity to enrich their personal and social lives. Based on this review, sufficient evidence exists that can support future research effort...
Acknowledgments: The authors would like to thank Barr Smith Librarian Vicki Langton who helped with the search terms. Conflicts of Interest: The authors declare no conflict of interest.
Search terms used in PsycINFO database. Equivalent searches conducted in PubMed and Newsbank databases adapted these same terms. Human health.ti,ab OR “quality of life”.sh OR quality of life.ti,ab OR health ben-efit*.ti,ab OR human wellbeing.ti,ab OR mood.ti,ab OR mental health*.ti,ab OR physical health*.ti,ab OR mental wellbeing*.ti,ab OR physical...
How did kids differ in their interactions with dogs vs. non-conventional companion animals? I think it’s worth recognizing that there are some health benefits associated with conventional companion animals that may not be applicable to non-conventional human-animal relationships.
Non-conventional companion animals may benefit their guardians by providing social support through acting as attachment figures, facilitating social opportunities and daily routines, fulfilling cognitive needs, and recreating restorative capacities of mindfully observing natural landscapes.
- Macauley, L.Chur-Hansen, A.
- Journal article
- Animals, 2022; 13 (1):1-24
Non-conventional companion animals may benefit their guardians by providing social support through acting as attachment figures, facilitating social opportunities and daily routines, fulfilling cognitive needs, and recreating restorative capacities of mindfully observing natural landscapes.
The literature suggests that health benefits of companion animals are predicated on human perceptions of the animal rather than the animal’s species. Therefore, relationships with non-conventional companion animals of diverse species may benefit the health of their human guardians as do dogs, cats, and horses.
