Pets and children: New study finds animals’ impact on mental health is complex

A new Spanish study challenges the simple idea that pets automatically improve children’s mental health. Researchers examined data from nearly 1,900 families and found that the answer depends on the animal and the consistency of the relationship.

The study used data from Spain’s long-term INMA project, which tracks children’s health and development from pregnancy through age six or seven. About 52.3% of the families had owned a pet at some point. Dogs were reported by 19.1% of families, cats by 8.7%, birds by 14.8% and other animals, including hamsters, rabbits, turtles and fish, by 28.6%.

An initial analysis produced a surprising result: children who had never lived with an animal showed the strongest mental-health indicators. But that difference disappeared after the researchers accounted for factors such as social status, sex, age and place of residence. The adjusted results showed no clear difference between children without pets and those who lived with animals either continuously or occasionally.

Cats produced one of the study’s more specific findings. Living with a cat at age four or five was linked to slightly more frequent mental-health problems. The researchers emphasized that this does not prove a cause-and-effect relationship. Unmeasured factors, the way cats interact with people and the reasons families choose cats could all have influenced the result. The study also mentioned a small possible connection with toxoplasmosis, an infection more commonly associated with cats, although that possibility does not establish a link in these children.

By contrast, children who continuously lived with smaller animals such as hamsters, rabbits, turtles or fish showed a possible protective effect, affecting both boys and girls. Researchers suggested that these animals may offer steady, simple opportunities to learn responsibility, empathy and self-control. Pets can also provide comfort, support emotional development and help children understand nonverbal communication. Caring for an animal may encourage prosocial behavior and strengthen family bonds, but the study’s findings show that the relationship cannot be reduced to a simple yes-or-no answer.