The common wisdom was that if you were stressed out, spending some time with a beloved pet might do you some good. A few belly rubs, head scratches, or a cuddle on the couch were supposed to make them feel good and, in turn, maybe some of that good vibe would rub off on you. But according to new research published in Frontiers in Psychology, it might be a bit more complicated than that.
Researchers from the Open University in the Netherlands tracked 188 cat and dog owners over five days, using a smartphone app that continuously asked participants about their mood, stress levels, and interactions with their pets. The goal was to measure how pets affect people in real time.
The findings suggest that while spending time with cats and dogs is generally associated with being in a better mood overall and having fewer negative emotions, those interactions didn’t actually reduce stress in the moment. Pets might make people happier in the long view, but if you’re hoping your pet will relieve some of your stress here and now, you’re out of luck.
Your Cat Might Actually Cause You More Stress (But Take That With a Grain of Salt)
This was especially true for cats, which reportedly left participants feeling even more stress than they had before. The researchers stress that this is not a definitive finding, and that the study included significantly fewer cat owners than dog owners. The study also didn’t distinguish between different types of interactions. Having a soothing cuddle may turn out to be more relaxing than getting into a friendly feline wrestling match.
It may come down to the pet’s personality, and since owners aren’t always good at recognizing when a pet is just not in the mood for playtime or cuddles, trying to force them into it might be stressing you out in the process.
None of this negates the decades of research that say pets can improve your overall well-being. It’s just that sometimes, in a moment of stress or despair, a pet may not be the on-demand stress reliever you want them to be.
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