Pet ownership and health status of elderly in the community

Examined the relationship between pet ownership and health status among older adults in Australia. A total of 50 adults aged 68-94 (mean age 78.6) attending a general medical practice in Brisbane, Australia, completed a questionnaire on pet-keeping practices, health and community resources, and hobbies and interests. The medical practitioner indicated the primary medical problem(s) of the respondents. It was found that 26 of the participants currently kept pets and that all but three had kept pets at some point in their lives. Dogs were the preferred pets, with 19 respondents currently owning dogs. Eight respondents owned cats, three owned caged birds, two kept poultry, two owned horses, and one owned a goat. Some of the respondents kept more than one pet and more than one type of pet. There were no significant differences between pet owners and nonowners in level of happiness, life satisfaction, depression, hobbies or interests, medication use, and medical problems. (MM) (AgeLine Database, copyright 1999 EBSCO Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved)