17 Feb, 2026
Recently, there have been a lot of controversies revolving around stray and pet dogs, whether they are safe to have around or not. Many families claim that having pets is the best decision they have made because they bring a lot of positivity into the household.
Now, coming to the question of whether pet ownership benefits children’s mental health is increasingly relevant, particularly as companion animals become more common in family environments. In Spain, for example, over 50% of households report owning at least one pet.1 Emotional attachment, defined as the secure bond between a child and a caregiver, is essential for healthy psychological development. Similar attachment-like relationships may also form between children and animals, potentially influencing emotional regulation and social behavior.2
Human–animal interactions have been associated with several developmental benefits, including improved emotional self-regulation, enhanced empathy and responsibility, and greater prosocial behavior.2,3 Pets may also facilitate social interaction within families and help children develop sensitivity to non-verbal cues. In situations where a primary caregiver is absent, animals can act as transitional comfort objects, providing emotional reassurance.2 However, the broader effects of pet exposure on mental health—particularly internalizing symptoms such as anxiety and depression, and externalizing behaviours such as aggression—remain insufficiently understood.
To examine this relationship, data from the INMA Project (Infancia y Medio Ambiente), a longitudinal birth cohort study in Spain, were analyzed.4 This study followed children from pregnancy until 6–7 years of age using questionnaires, clinical evaluations, and environmental assessments. Approximately 1,900 families from multiple regions were included, of whom 52.3% reported pet exposure during early childhood. Dogs, cats, birds, and small animals such as rabbits, hamsters, turtles, and fish were represented.4
Initial analyses suggested that children who had never lived with pets had slightly more favourable mental health scores, while intermittent pet exposure—particularly to cats—was associated with greater emotional and behavioural difficulties. After adjustment for confounders such as socioeconomic status, age, sex, and cohort, no significant associations were observed for pet ownership overall, nor for dogs and birds specifically.4
Interestingly, exposure to cats at 4–5 years of age was associated with increased mental health problems. This may relate to cats’ relatively independent behaviour, which may limit emotional bonding, or to unmeasured familial factors influencing pet choice. Additionally, cats are the primary reservoir for Toxoplasma gondii, an infection linked to behavioural changes and severe psychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.5 In contrast, continuous exposure to small animals such as fish, turtles, and hamsters appeared to have a protective effect, possibly by promoting routine, responsibility, and emotional self-control.3,4
Overall, these findings suggest that the mental health effects of pets in early childhood depend on the type of animal, consistency of exposure, and developmental stage, with stable, predictable relationships appearing more beneficial than intermittent contact. A pet in the house can bring empathy, responsibility, and emotional self- regulation, but various factors contribute to the impact, like the age at which the pet was introduced, the type of bond, and the method of upbringing.
References:
1- European Pet Food Industry Federation (FEDIAF). Facts and Figures 2023. Brussels:
FEDIAF; 2023.
2- Julius H, Beetz A, Kotrschal K, Turner DC, Uvnäs-Moberg K. Attachment to pets: an
integrative view of human–animal relationships. Front Psychol. 2012;3:234.
3- Beetz A, Uvnäs-Moberg K, Julius H, Kotrschal K. Psychosocial and psychophysiological
Effects of human–animal interactions. Front Psychol. 2012;3:234.
4- Rodríguez-Carrillo A, et al. Exposure to pets and mental health in early childhood: results
from the INMA cohort. Environ Res. 2023;216:114511.
5- Torrey EF, Yolken RH. Toxoplasma gondii and schizophrenia. Emerg Infect Dis.
2003;9(11):1375–1380.