Our furry friends, the heroes of lockdown

In the absence of human social contact during this dark year, furry and feathered pets provided much-needed comfort to many people who were isolated and facing difficult circumstances. A new study highlights their vital role and urges medical authorities to consider making room for animals in hospitals and nursing homes. The year 2020 was marked by widespread social isolation, with the associated psychological consequences and risks. With the lockdown, people found themselves deprived of meaning in every respect. Touch, one of the five basic senses, was notably restricted in an effort to better combat COVID-19, though not without negative consequences. Undoubtedly to fill this enforced void and loneliness, there was a surge in cat and dog adoptions, both from shelters and breeders. Spending on pets reached record levels, totaling some 260 billion U.S. dollars worldwide in 2020, including 13 billion dollars in Australia alone, for example. Thus, pets have played a vital role in compensating for the lack of social interaction. In the absence of human contact, their presence—along with the hugs and cuddles they receive—has helped their owners regain a sense of balance in their lives. A new study published by researchers at the University of South Australia highlights this vital role during a time when a lack of contact can have a detrimental impact on human populations and recommends that public health authorities take note of this. Touch is a sense that is often taken for granted, or even neglected. But 2020 has restored it to its rightful place. Human contact has been so limited that more or less harmful consequences for health and quality of life have emerged. In fact, touch is particularly important for growth and development, but also for reducing levels of cortisol, the stress hormone present in the body. According to the Australian study, pets provide comfort, companionship, and a sense of self-worth to socially isolated individuals. During interviews with about thirty animal owners, more than 90% of them reported that simply petting their pet comforted and relaxed them, while the animals also seemed to need it. Many of those surveyed reported that their cats and dogs—as well as birds, sheep, horses, reptiles, and others—seek contact when they are distressed, sad, or depressed, as if they “knew” when their owner wasn’t feeling well. Humans are a social species that need to connect with others. Yet in a global lockdown, pets may be the only living beings capable of filling this void, serving as a substitute for many people who, through touch, find essential comfort during these times of enforced social distancing. Even outside the specific context of the COVID-19 pandemic, this benefit should not be overlooked. It is a fact that pets can alleviate certain psychological and physical stressors. Hospitals, healthcare facilities, and nursing homes would do well to promote animal-assisted therapy to allow their residents to form bonds with pets. While the importance of human-animal relationships is well-established and widely recognized, few animals are allowed to live with their owners who are placed in care facilities. Yet this could have helped many people cope with the lack of social contact that persisted throughout the past year. It’s not too late to learn from this and to change our relationship with animals in the world to come.