Pets are often credited with improving people’s mental and physical health, from easing loneliness to boosting mental well-being. But a new study suggests the answer may not be as simple as owning a dog, cat or other companion animal.
Researchers from the University of Basel in Switzerland found little evidence that pet ownership itself was linked to better overall physical or mental health among the 2,328 adults surveyed. Instead, the researchers found that factors such as time spent with an animal and perceived emotional support appeared to play a larger role in how people experienced those relationships.
The study, published Wednesday in PLOS One, adds to growing research suggesting the so-called “pet effect” is more complicated than the idea that having a pet automatically improves health.
Rather than focusing only on whether someone owned a pet, the researchers examined how people interacted with animals and the role those animals played in their daily lives.
The Human-Animal Bond May Matter More
Previous studies have produced mixed results on whether pets improve human health. Some research has linked pet ownership to lower stress, increased physical activity and reduced loneliness, while other studies have found little or no measurable benefit.
To better understand those inconsistencies, researchers analyzed survey data from Swiss adults and examined several factors related to animal companionship. These included whether participants owned a pet, had regular contact with animals, felt attached to an animal, spent time with one or viewed the animal as a source of socio-emotional support.
They then compared those factors with measures of physical health, psychological well-being, loneliness, life satisfaction and social support.
Overall, the researchers found no broad association between pet ownership or regular animal contact and better health or well-being. Pet ownership alone was not linked to differences in loneliness, life satisfaction, psychological well-being or human social support.
Women, people who spent more time with an animal and those who interacted with dogs tended to report stronger emotional attachment to the animal and greater socio-emotional support from it.
Some Results Were Unexpected
Yet stronger feelings of support did not necessarily correspond with better well-being. In fact, some of the study’s most surprising findings pointed in the opposite direction.
Pet owners in the study reported being slightly less healthy and smoked cigarettes somewhat more often than people without pets. Participants who said they received greater socio-emotional support from an animal also tended to report lower psychological well-being and greater loneliness.
The researchers cautioned that these findings should not be interpreted as evidence that pets harm people’s health.
Because the study was observational and captured responses at a single point in time, it cannot determine cause and effect. It is possible that people experiencing poorer health, loneliness or other challenges are more likely to seek out companionship from animals, rather than pets causing those outcomes.
The authors also noted that some of the differences were small. For example, the average difference in smoking between pet owners and non-owners was only 0.19 cigarettes per day, which they said may not represent a meaningful lifestyle difference.
Similarly, the link between greater support from animals and poorer psychological well-being may reflect the possibility that people who are struggling are more likely to lean on pets for comfort and companionship.
At the same time, participants who spent more time with an animal reported higher psychological well-being, suggesting that different aspects of the human-animal relationship may influence well-being in different ways.
Dogs Showed Stronger Connections
Among the animals included in the study, interactions with dogs were associated with stronger attachment and greater perceived socio-emotional support compared with interactions with other species. Women also reported stronger attachment and higher levels of support from animals than men.
The researchers said the findings suggest that the owner, the animal and quality of the relationship may all influence how animal companionship is experienced. They argued that future research should move beyond asking whether someone owns a pet and instead examine how people interact with animals and the role those relationships play in everyday life.
The researchers also acknowledged several limitations. The study relied on self-reported survey responses, included only adults living in Switzerland and measured participants at a single point in time. They said future research should include objective health measures, participants from additional countries and long-term studies that can better assess whether relationships with animals influence health over time.
For pet owners, the findings do not suggest that companion animals fail to provide benefits. Instead, they highlight that the human-animal relationship is complex, and the emotional connection people build with pets may matter more than ownership alone.
Newsweek contacted the study authors for comment but did not receive a response before publication.
Reference
Marti R, Hediger K, Pauli E, Hattendorf J. Factors of pet ownership associated with human health: A representative cross-sectional survey of Switzerland. PLoS One 2026;21(7):e0352778. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0352778