Growing Old Is Better With a Pet. Here’s Why

People who are looking to stay well as they age may want to adopt a pet, according to new data from the University of Michigan National Poll on Healthy Aging.

For the survey, researchers polled about 2,000 U.S. adults from ages 50 to 80. Fifty-five percent said they owned at least one pet. Dogs were the most common pet, followed by cats and small animals, such as birds and hamsters.

People who are looking to stay well as they age may want to adopt a pet, according to new data from the University of Michigan National Poll on Healthy Aging. For the survey, researchers polled about 2,000 U.S. adults from ages 50 to 80. Fifty-five percent said they owned at least one pet. Dogs were the most common pet, followed by cats and small animals, such as birds and hamsters.