NETHERLANDS — Researchers from The Open University, Maastricht University Medical Center, and the University of Basel published a peer-reviewed study in Frontiers in Psychology indicating a correlation between pet interaction and emotional well-being. The study found that while pet interaction is associated with positive emotional states, it does not alleviate stress for owners in real time.

The study collected approximately 8,000 real-time data reports from pet owners who received 10 mobile app notifications daily over five consecutive days. Participants completed questionnaires about their feelings, activities, and proximity to or interaction with their pets. Interacting with pets correlated with positive emotional states, and higher interaction levels were associated with increased positive feelings and decreased negative feelings. These emotional benefits were consistent for both dog owners and cat owners.

However, the research indicated that interacting with a pet during periods of stress did not reduce the negative effects of stress on an owner's mood. For stressed cat owners, a higher level of interaction corresponded with a stronger link between stress and negative emotions. Among stressed dog owners, pet interaction did not intensify negative emotions, but it also did not improve them.

Dr. Mayke Janssens, an assistant professor of psychology at the university and the study's corresponding author, said, "Our findings indicate that stress-buffering is not the mechanism causing momentary emotional well-being when interacting with a pet. Interaction with either species did not act as a buffer for negative emotions. In cats, we even observed that a higher level of interaction was associated with a stronger link between stress and negative emotions in owners." Janssens added, "The positive effects of pet interaction on well-being appear to be genuine, but they don't seem to happen because pets help people handle stress better at the exact moment the stress occurs. Interacting more intensively with the companion animal did not provide additional emotional benefits beyond those that may arise from the animal simply being present." She noted, "It could be that interacting with a pet provides a sense of companionship and that pets help people feel more connected and less alone, which in turn could contribute to improved emotional well-being."

Sanne Peeters, a researcher at the university and the study's first author, noted the sample size for cat owners was smaller than for dog owners. Peeters said, "One speculative explanation is that because interactions with cats are often more passive and less demanding in nature, a higher level of interaction might be more emotionally evocative. This might not match the need for support in stressful moments." She stated, "Dog owners were probably more likely to identify as 'dog people,' whereas cat owners were more likely to identify as 'cat people.' It's possible that this owner-pet 'match' partly explains why the findings were so similar for dogs and cats." Peeters concluded, "I wouldn't say that one species makes a 'better' pet than the other. Instead, it's more likely about owner personality and preference. The main conclusion is that interacting with dogs and cats appears to provide similar emotional benefits."