The information I'll share today is from the BBC electronic newsletter. The news was that dog owners in particular lead longer, healthier lives, at least in the United Kingdom.

   In a recent excerpt from the British Journal of Health Psychology, the news from Dr. Deborah Wells is as follows:

   It's not just companionship that dogs provide, but regular "walkies," as she terms it, that make the difference in dog owner's lives. Wells confirms that pet owners in general tend to be healthier than the average population. As well as lower blood pressure and cholesterol, she said dog owners suffer fewer minor ailments and serious medical problems.

   There is also the suggestion that dogs could aid recovery from serious illnesses, such as heart attacks. Wells stated that "it is possible that dogs can directly promote our well-being by buffering us from stress, one of the major risk factors associated with ill-health."

   Unfortunately, cat ownership does not promote the social or physical activities that dog ownership promotes. Says Wells, "The ownership of a dog can lead to increases in physical activity and facilitate the development of social contacts, which may enhance both physiological and psychological human health in a more direct manner."

   Dr. June McNicholas, who has specialized in research into the health effects of pet ownership, said that "an important reason for the improved health of dog owners was not just the exercise received while taking a dog for walks, but the opportunity for social contact with other dog owners."

   She said that "for older people, an animal can fulfill the need to be needed, perhaps after children have left home. In some cases, the social support offered by an animal is greater than the support another human being can offer."

   These are quite strong statements from the psychologists in Great Britain. The only exception I would make personally is that there must be something positive on the psychological front when it comes to cat ownership.

   While it may be true that ownership of a cat may not push one physically, I have no doubt that psychological welfare is a no-brainer.

   One need only see my cat, Prince, in my wife's lap as she reads a book or "tries" to work a crossword puzzle or read a newspaper to see the importance of the mental wellness they provide each other.

   Truth be known, I can fulfill Prince's needs in her absence, but it's not quite the same. Prince and my wife have an unbreakable, special bond that is enriching for both of them.

   We just need to wait for someone to write that cat study, don't we?

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