One respondent said getting a pet had given their days more structure and purpose, spending more time outside and exercising more.<\/p>\n
\u201cI wake up earlier now because I know they\u2019re waiting for breakfast and a bit of attention. That small routine has actually helped me sleep better and feel more grounded.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve also become more mindful. Watching how they react to things, how they rest, how they play, it\u2019s taught me to slow down and notice the little things. It\u2019s strange how something so small can shift your whole rhythm, but they really have.\u201d<\/p>\n
Another respondent said that since having dogs, they had become more active, more social and more emotionally regulated.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019ve helped me get outside more often, even when I didn\u2019t feel like it. That fresh air and movement have made a real difference in my everyday routine.\u201d<\/p>\n
More than a third of all respondents reduced their screen time because of having a pet and many also exercised more.<\/p>\n
Several said they have less time to binge-watch shows or \u201cdoom scroll\u201d on social media, often finding that watching their pets was better than watching a TV show or animal video.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhether we\u2019re out walking, playing fetch, or just having cuddles on the couch, she\u2019s encouraged us to focus on real moments instead of screens,\u201d one respondent wrote.<\/p>\n
Several people said that when they were on their mobile or watching shows, their pet might get restless, stare at them, sit on their lap, or \u201cpush\u201d or \u201cslap\u201d their device away.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf I am on my phone, she will growl at me or come and sit on my lap. If I am watching TV, she brings her toy over to me to throw and play fetch. Most of the time we just play, and the TV goes off,\u201d one person said.<\/p>\n
Almost one in seven respondents believed they had improved their diet because of their pet, often because of becoming conscious of their pet\u2019s nutrition.<\/p>\n
Almost one in 11 respondents claimed to drink less, often because they wanted to spend their evenings with their pets or didn\u2019t want to be hungover for their dog\u2019s morning walk.<\/p>\n
\u201cI used to have a beer after dinner some nights but don\u2019t feel like it anymore after walking my dog after dinner. I replaced alcohol with doggie walks,\u201d one respondent wrote.<\/p>\n
About one in 30 respondents said they had quit or reduced their smoking because of their pets, with many saying they were concerned about their impact on their animal\u2019s health.<\/p>\n
One wrote that they didn\u2019t want their \u201cboy inhaling the smoke or his fur smelling of it\u201d, while one said they didn\u2019t want their animals \u201cto become passive smokers and suffer breathing problems\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy husband and I gave up smoking for our health, especially for being able to look after a dog and for our girls,\u201d another wrote.<\/p>\n
Having to manage pets\u2019 vaccinations and veterinary care also appears to be having an upside, with 7.6% of respondents saying their pet has helped them prioritise regular health check-ups for themselves.<\/p>\n
The SPCA said pets can offer a range of benefits, including reducing stress and providing routine.<\/p>\n
\u201cJust patting an animal actually reduces blood pressure and can help people to relax. Research has also shown that pets can help people cope with the impact of distressing life events.<\/p>\n
\u201cCaring for an animal can provide a sense of purpose, as well as providing structure in day-to-day life. This can be very helpful in managing conditions such as depression and anxiety. Pets love routine and can encourage us to wake, eat, play and exercise at regular times.\u201d<\/p>\n
Pets could also help make people more active and productive, the SPCA said.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs many pet owners know, dogs love going for walks. This serves as a great motivator for their owners to enjoy the mental and physical benefits of exercise too! With these regular walks, pet owners can improve their fitness and cardiovascular health, as well as de-stress and unwind.<\/p>\n
\u201cPets can benefit the mental health of others outside the home too. Research has shown that pets in the workplace can reduce stress, increase collaboration and promote productivity too.\u201d<\/p>\n
Michael Sergel is Newstalk ZB\u2019s business reporter, covering the daily life of business and the business of daily life. He\u2019s been covering business, politics, local government and consumer affairs for over a decade.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"One respondent said getting a pet had given their days more structure and purpose, spending more time outside…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":205447,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[95,192,19699,14229,9213,14768,12340,5110,11551,221,78,6187,5829,117,111,43,139,69,22213,31252,60725,12229,8262,4758,165,2044,810,102,80,24750],"class_list":["post-205446","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-new-zealand","tag-and","tag-are","tag-cats","tag-changing","tag-dogs","tag-every","tag-habits","tag-healthy","tag-hours","tag-how","tag-in","tag-lives","tag-many","tag-new","tag-new-zealand","tag-news","tag-newzealand","tag-nz","tag-our","tag-pets","tag-picking","tag-result","tag-spending","tag-taking","tag-their","tag-time","tag-up","tag-with","tag-zealand","tag-zealanders"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/205446","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=205446"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/205446\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/205447"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=205446"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=205446"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=205446"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}