Just ask any pet owner about their pet and you are likely to see them perk up all over their body. They will smile, get excited and probably tell you at least one funny story about their pets. Even the popular on-line game, World of War Craft, recognizes the power of a happy pet.

Health, Happiness, and Pets
Advocates of alternative medicine have long recognized that happiness is pets. Animals are taken into nursing homes, hospitals and other centers to work their magic on people who are ill. A January 2008 New York Times article, quotes a Japanese study showing that pet owners have fewer doctor visits and an Australian study that shows pet owners have lower blood pressure and cholesterol. Dogs perform search and rescue, act as guides for those who cannot see or hear, and can even sometimes predict seizures in their human companions.

There are many theories behind this. In a 2003 article from the Clemson University Undergraduate Journal, Alicia Stribling notes that a review of research indicates that the quality of the relationship matters. People with a positive relationship get more benefits from pet ownership than others. Some research indicates that happiness is pets because the pets have primarily positive interactions with us. They do not criticize, condemn, or complain, but provide steady affection.

Happiness is Pets for Animals Too
Whatever the reason, even animals find comfort in relationships with other animals. For example, the famous gorilla, Koko, loves kitties. Koko is learning to communicate with humans through sign language and if the photos were not compelling enough, Koko has confirmed her love of humans, other gorillas, and kittens through her language.

Another famous example of animals connecting with other animals to confirm that happiness is pets in the animal kingdom too, is the turtle who adopted the baby hippo in the African animal rescue camp after the big Tsunami.

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