Two weeks ago I brought home a big (15 lb!) bundle of taffy colored fur called “Kitty.” I’ve never had a cat before and Kitty is a fascinating and delightful addition to our family. (Velvet the dog, Peetie the worried cockatiel, Micheal and Moi.)

Last weekend a snippet of an article caught my attention and tonight I snuggled in to do some research on the topic of pets and how they make us healthy. A few highlights include:

* Petting cats or dogs increases feel good hormones, lowers blood pressure and slows the heart rate. In other words, petting is healthy for your heart!

* Want an easy, healthy stress buster? A study shows that watching fish swim can drop your blood pressure about 15 points …

* Want an easy does it way to relax and re-energize? “Walking is the biggest bang for our buck. Thirty minutes a day of walking will prevent many cases of diabetes, hypertension, and other chronic diseases.” -Surgeon General

Psst. Dog owners walk 79 percent farther in an average week than non–dog owners.

For the rest of this puuurfect story, click here ….

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