Perception of the impact of pets on the psychological well-being of their owners

Privrženost je jedna od temeljnih ljudskih potreba koja se manifestira ponajprije prema djeci, supružnicima, članovima obitelji i bliskim prijateljima. Kako su ljubimci u sve većoj mjeri prisutni u obiteljima, njihovi vlasnici vrlo često razvijaju povezanost s njima i počinju osjećati privrženost kakva je uobičajena s bliskim osobama. Cilj rada bio je ispitati percepciju utjecaja kućnih ljubimaca na psihološku dobrobit njihovih vlasnika, za što se koristila metoda anketnog upitnika distribuirana putem društvenih mreža. U anketi je sudjelovalo ukupno 140 ispitanika obaju spolova, različitih dobnih skupima i stupnja obrazovanja. Istraživanjem su se htjela saznati mišljenja vlasnika kućnih ljubimaca o utjecaju ljubimaca na njihovu dobrobit, navike i kvalitetu života te stupanj privrženosti vlasnika svojim ljubimcima. Rezultati su pokazali da su vlasnici vrlo privrženi ljubimcima, da smatraju ljubimce svojim životnim suputnicima koji im pomažu u smanjivanju svakodnevnog stresa i čine ih sretnijima. Također se pokazalo da ispitanici primjećuju pozitivne promjene u svom ponašanju prema životinjama i da ljubimci pozitivno utječu na stavove i mišljenja vlasnika o općoj dobrobiti za životinje. Istraživanje je potvrdilo brojne studije o utjecaju kućnih ljubimaca na psihičko i fizičko zdravlje ljudi.Attachment is one of the basic human needs that manifests itself primarily towards children, spouses, family members and close friends. As pets are increasingly present in families, their owners very often develop a connection with them and begin to feel the attachment that is common with loved ones. The aim of the study was to examine the perception of the impact of pets on the psychological well-being of their owners, using the method of a survey questionnaire distributed through social networks. A total of 140 respondents of both sexes, of different age groups and levels of education participated in the survey. The research sought to find out the opinions of pet owners on the impact of pets on their well-being, habits and quality of life as well as the degree of attachment of owners to their pets. The results showed that owners are very attached to pets, they consider pets as their life companions that help them reduce daily stress and make them happier. Respondents were also found to notice positive changes in their behaviour toward animals and that pets positively influenced owners’ attitudes and opinions about general animal welfare. Research has confirmed numerous studies on the impact of pets on people’s mental and physical health