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Pet ownership and cognitive functioning in later adulthood across pet types

Pet ownership has been shown to have a positive influence on cognitive functioning and cognitive decline in late adulthood. However, there is limited understanding of how different species of pets are associated with these outcomes in different age groups. This study employed a multilevel modelling approach using data from eight waves of the Survey of Health and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) to longitudinally examine: (1) the relationship between pet ownership and cognitive decline over 18 years among adults aged 50 and older, (2) The moderating role of younger vs. older age subgroups on this relationship, and (3) the distinct role of owning dogs, cats, birds, and fish. The targeted cognitive domains were executive functioning and episodic memory. Results confirmed that pet ownership is associated with slower decline in both cognitive domains. While age group did not moderate this relationship, differences emerged in the relationship between cognitive decline and individual pet species. Dog and cat ownership was associated with slower cognitive decline compared to no pet ownership; bird and fish ownership showed no such association. These findings suggest that dog and cat ownership might act as a protective factor aiding to slow down cognitive decline, thus contributing to healthy cognitive ageing.

Cognitive decline is a major public health concern on both individual and societal levels due to its association with diminished well-being and health-related quality of life 8, 9 as well as increased caregiving burden 10 and health- and long-term care costs 11. A further systematic review by Hughes and colleagues 21 similarly concluded that human-animal interactions can benefit older adults’ physical but also mental health, including improvements in their quality of life and levels of depression and anxiety. Lenox-Smith, A., Reed, C., Lebrec, J., Belger, M. & Jones, R. Potential cost savings to be made by slowing cognitive decline in mild Alzheimer’s disease dementia using a model derived from the UK GERAS observational study.

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