Top 10 Reasons to be Thankful for Your Pet

Happy Thanksgiving, Bivvy fam! We’re thankful for you terrific bunch of loving and responsible pet parents. And amidst the cooking, parade-and-football-watching, and other traditions that come with this holiday, we hope you take a moment to reflect on the cornucopia of reasons we pet people have to be thankful for our fur fam. Pour yourself a cup of hot cider and reflect with us on ten reasons to be thankful for your pet.

1. Pets Are Our Constant Companions

This one may seem obvious, but especially considering the way our lives have looked over the last year and a half, face it Bivvy pet parents—our pets reeeallly deserve some accolades for the way they fill up our companionship cups. In the early pandemic days, our pets were our companions when we perhaps couldn’t see any others. Not to mention, for those of us still working from home, they may be all we’ve got in the way of coworkers. They’ve been the constant relationships that we have been able to maintain in real life while perhaps having to limit our IRL interactions with others.

2. Pets Give Our Lives Structure

Having another little soul to care for gives a sort of pattern to our days and our lives. Feeding time, playtime, and other routines like poop-scooping, bathing, and grooming keep us putting one foot in front of the other, and hopefully deter us from sleeping or social media-scrolling the day away.

3. Pets Are Good for our Mental Health

With great pets come great responsibility. And the responsibilities that come with the structure mentioned above, give us fulfillment. Having another little soul to care for makes us feel needed and important. It gives us a sense of meaning and purpose. 

4. Pets Teach Us to be a Little More Selfless

Making the commitment to care for a pet means that for the duration of their lives, they’re dependent upon you. Caring for another gives more purpose and productivity to your time and makes you a more well-rounded human being.

5. Pets Get Us Out of the House

There’s nothing wrong with being a homebody, but the getting outside and moving around that come with walking our dogs has mental and physical health benefits. Dogs can boost our social lives too, as they get us out into places where other dogs and their people are, where we can meet like-minded pals. And the simple fact that you are a pet person can be a good icebreaker in any kind of conversation. Who doesn’t love being shown a great pet picture or video, or hearing an origin story or comical tale of mischief?

6. Pets Provide Emotional Support

Our pets make us laugh and they provide support in their own little ways when we face fear, anxiety, and depression. And studies have shown that those with pets are far less lonely. Thanks, pets!

7. Pets Get Us Exercising

Dogs support our physical health since they require us to commit to some degree of routine exercise, between the playing and walks. Those with pets have fewer heart problems—probably because of both more exercise, and more emotional support in the face of stress.

8. Pets Improve Our Health

It’s true that pets reduce stress and lower our blood pressure. Petting and playing with them disrupts our stress. A Washington State University study found that people who pet an animal for ten minutes lowered their levels of the stress hormone cortisol significantly. And research shows that kids who grow up around pets develop some immunity to bacteria and pet allergens. Research also suggests that pet owners generally report fewer health problems and go to the hospital less, specifically if they have dogs.

9. Pets Are the Perfect Greeting Committee

Being a joyful furry face to come home to everyday should be reason enough to be thankful for your pet! But their greetings put smiles on our faces, and their being excited to see us day after day shouldn’t be taken for granted.

10. Pets Keep Us Creative

This is one that may actually apply more to cat owners, if we’ve opted to keep them indoor-only and need to use our brains to enrich their lives. But dogs too keep us creative and exploring as we find new hikes and walks to keep things interesting.

So, give your pet a little extra love this season for all they do for you. And before you get back to your Thanksgiving merrymaking…affordable pet insurance is something you’ll be thankful for if you ever need it. It’ll help protect your pet in the event of something unforeseen, because while some procedures are relatively inexpensive, some can cost thousands. With Bivvy, your pet’s has coverage against illnesses, accidents, hereditary conditions, and more. Plug in your pet’s info here to see the coverage available to you, for less than $1 per day. You don’t even need an insurance card. If you have Bivvy, you can just walk into any licensed veterinarian, and Bivvy will reimburse you for any covered expenses.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your pets!