Muzamil Hilal, 26, from Rawalpora in Srinagar, has had a dog and a cat for several years now. He says they have made a “world of difference” to his family’s life.
“It is like raising children at home. They cheer you up all day long,” says Hilal. “My mother used to feel quite depressed earlier, but since we brought the pets home, she stays engaged with them all the time and her mood has improved a lot.”
Kashmir has seen a steady rise in pet ownership in recent years, with many families welcoming cats, dogs, rabbits and birds into their homes. Residents say pets have become an integral part of family life, offering both companionship and emotional comfort.
Beyond companionship, scientists now say these furry companions may also offer surprising health benefits. A growing body of research suggests that owning a dog, in particular, may help people live longer and maintain better cognitive health as they age.
Owning a dog may do more than provide companionship—it might help people live longer and keep their minds sharper as they age, according to growing scientific evidence.
A large meta-analysis published in the Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes suggests that people who own dogs may face a significantly lower risk of death compared to those who do not.
The study, led by researcher Caroline K. Kramer and colleagues, analysed data from 10 observational studies involving more than 3.8 million participants across several countries. The researchers found that dog ownership was associated with a 24 percent lower risk of all-cause mortality.
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“Dog ownership was associated with a 24 per cent risk reduction for all-cause mortality as compared to nonownership,” the authors wrote, adding that the benefit appeared even stronger among people with heart disease.
In fact, individuals who had previously suffered coronary events and lived in homes with dogs showed an even greater survival advantage. According to the study, “living in a home with a dog was associated with an even more pronounced risk reduction for all-cause mortality,” with a relative risk reduction of 65 percent among people with prior heart conditions.
The findings also suggest that dogs may offer protection against heart-related deaths. When researchers looked specifically at cardiovascular outcomes, they found that “dog ownership conferred a 31 per cent risk reduction for cardiovascular death.”
Scientists believe several mechanisms may explain these effects. Previous studies have linked dog companionship with “lower blood pressure levels, improved lipid profile, and diminished sympathetic responses to stress,” factors that collectively reduce cardiovascular risk.
But the potential benefits of pets may not stop with physical health. Another recent study published in the journal Scientific Reports indicates that owning pets—particularly dogs and cats—may also slow cognitive decline in older adults.
The research, led by Adriana Rostekova and colleagues, analysed data from eight waves of the Survey of Health and Retirement in Europe, tracking adults aged 50 and older for 18 years. The study examined how pet ownership influenced changes in key cognitive abilities such as memory and executive functioning.
“Pet ownership has been shown to have a positive influence on cognitive functioning and cognitive decline in late adulthood,” the study noted, while adding that scientists still have a limited understanding of how different types of pets affect these outcomes.
The analysis found that overall pet ownership was linked to slower decline in both executive functioning and episodic memory, but the effect varied depending on the animal.
“Dog and cat ownership was associated with slower cognitive decline compared to no pet ownership,” the researchers reported, whereas “bird and fish ownership showed no such association.”
The authors suggest that animals capable of deeper human interaction may provide stronger benefits. Activities such as walking dogs, routine caregiving, and emotional bonding could stimulate both physical activity and social engagement—factors known to protect brain health.
“Pet ownership is linked to many factors that have been related to reduced cognitive decline,” the study explained, including increased physical activity, reduced loneliness, and lower stress levels.
While researchers caution that most evidence comes from observational studies rather than controlled experiments, the overall picture emerging from decades of research is striking.
As the meta-analysis concluded, “dog ownership is associated with lower risk of death over the long term, which is possibly driven by a reduction in cardiovascular mortality.”
For millions of people around the world, the family dog may therefore be doing more than wagging its tail at the door—it may quietly be contributing to longer and healthier lives.
India’s pet boom
India’s pet industry is expanding rapidly, fuelled by rising urban incomes, changing lifestyles and the growing perception of pets as family members. Data from industry reports shows that pet ownership and spending on pet care products have surged across the country, including smaller towns.
India’s online pet care segment recorded a 95 per cent year-on-year increase in sales in FY25, reflecting growing demand for specialised products such as premium pet food, grooming kits and hygiene items, according to a report by e-commerce enablement firm Unicommerce. While metropolitan cities saw order volumes rise by 120 per cent, Tier II and Tier III towns also recorded strong growth of 75 per cent and 60 per cent respectively, suggesting that pet parenting is no longer confined to India’s biggest cities.
The broader industry is also expanding quickly. Spending on pets in India reached $3.6 billion in 2024, up from $1.6 billion in 2019, and is expected to grow to $7 billion by 2028, according to estimates from Redseer show. The surge reflects a growing willingness among pet owners to invest in better nutrition, grooming and healthcare for their animals.
India’s pet population has also experienced significant growth. Research cited by ZipDo estimates that the country had around 112 million pets in 2023, including about 62 million dogs and 35 million cats. Cat ownership in particular has risen sharply, increasing by 25 per cent between 2020 and 2023, partly driven by urban living conditions and smaller apartments.
The pet food market alone was valued at $2.1 billion in 2022, growing at a compound annual rate of 18 per cent between 2017 and 2022. Premium and super-premium food now account for nearly 45 per cent of the market, highlighting the shift toward higher-quality products and specialised diets.
Digital platforms are playing an increasing role in this transformation. Around 60 per cent of Indian pet owners research products online before buying, and e-commerce sales are projected to reach $500 million by 2025. As disposable incomes rise and awareness about pet health grows, analysts expect the overall pet industry in India to approach $10 billion by 2027, signalling a rapidly maturing market.
As pet ownership rises across India, the expanding industry reflects more than a cultural shift toward treating animals as family members. Scientific studies increasingly suggest that the companionship of dogs and cats may also support better physical and cognitive health, linking the country’s growing pet culture with a broader body of research indicating that living with pets could contribute to longer and healthier lives.
This story is done in collaboration with First Check, which is the health journalism vertical of DataLEADS.
