Pets are beings that love each other as members of their own family, but sometimes they can get in the way of a relationship almost without you noticing. Perhaps your partner does not like pets and that causes the bond you have with your partner to crumble. Relationships can be ended or strengthened by pets.

As rewarding as pet raising can be , it is often not easy, nor is it something to be taken lightly. If you are considering adding a furry friend to your relationship, take some time to weigh the pros and cons before deciding to have one or end your relationship.

Pro: Improves general well-being

Having a pet can improve your overall well-being , leading to a longer life. They act as a social lubricant and help regulate moods, emotions, mental states, and fitness when we interact with them and meet their needs. Most couples will have better overall health and will live longer if they have pets.

Owning a dog is beneficial as it encourages people to exercise more, have healthier cholesterol and blood pressure levels, be less vulnerable to the physical effects of stress, and more likely to survive a heart attack than women. people who don’t have a dog .

Against: May be a source of tension

Pets can become a source of stress if your partner doesn’t like animals or for other reasons, such as levels of responsibility or financial cost. The more stressed you feel, the more stressed your pet will feel. Even cats , animals considered emotionally distant, are sensitive to the emotions of their owners.

In your home, you are the leader of the pack and you are the contact “You are the leader of the pack and usually one of their only sources of contact with the animals,” he said. “They combine and reflect their non-verbal cues, so it can be exhausting.”

Pro: You generate more oxytocin

It doesn’t happen just with your animal, but when you pet, your body produces more oxytocin. This includes more pets in addition to dogs, since many cats, birds and guinea pigs are also very affectionate. This will make you feel more inclined to physically contact your partner, which will release the hormone even more in your body and you will feel greater satisfaction and happiness .

Cons: You have to spend a lot of money

From food, toys, bedding and leashes to pet sitting services and medical expenses, pet care can be expensive.  The first year of caring for a medium-sized dog will probably cost you more than a thousand euros.

Your first year of cat ownership could cost a little less than a thousand euros. If your pet has special health needs, such as chronic illnesses, injuries, or food allergies, the costs could be much higher. In the whole life of a dog it can cost you in total more than 19 thousand euros … much more than you can imagine right now … a rabbit can cost about 12 thousand euros in its entire life, and a cat a little less than a dog. You can save but having them will make you spend a lot of money each month on their care.

Pro: Ability to feel

Little seems more important than empathy and communication when cultivating intimacy. The ability to feel or understand what your partner is feeling and communicate about everything from their needs and wants to their challenges and frustrations is important. 

Oxytocin, which is the hormone of happiness, promotes interaction with pets, is also closely related to these relationship attributes, so much so that scientists have considered it as the bond of love in nature. Oxytocin levels are extremely high during the infatuation stage of a relationship. A pet can help keep those feelings of love for your partner alive .

Against: They are a great responsibility

Unless you have a goldfish or hermit crab, pets are a huge responsibility. Once you have a pet, you may lose some of the freedom that you once had. Many couples only see the cost of purchasing a pet, which is the smallest component of being the parent of the pet. The real cost comes in meeting the needs of the dog or cat in a behavioral, nutritional, emotional, energetic and medical way. The list is long … because it is a great responsibility.

This means arranging for someone to take care of your pet’s exercise, feeding and hygiene when you are away, for example if you have to take a business trip where your pet cannot go. It can also mean fewer spontaneous outings … And unless you have a well-traveled pet, you may need to trade some long vacations for shorter ones.

Pro: Relieves anxiety

Pets can help alleviate anxiety, which affects approximately 18% of the world’s population, and reduce loneliness, which not only affects singles … It is important to note this, as loneliness can distort our perceptions of others, according to psychologists , and even make us devalue our relationships. 

Quality time with a pet can help prevent or control these effects. Petting an animal that you don’t even own can help calm your nerves. If you don’t have pets and you pet someone else’s, you will notice the benefits and will probably want to include one in your life, even if it costs a lot of money to do so.

Against: What happens to the flowerpots when you separate?

Even if you don’t want it to happen, everything can happen in this life , so if you separate from your partner, you will have to determine who gets the pet. If you decide to alternate care, adjusting to two separate lives can also be difficult for the animal. Couples who break up and do not want to continue any type of relationship may not like the pet at all, often because the pet reminds them of their previous partner, or they may argue over who can keep the pet.