Pets Are Not Therapists: They Can‘t Cure You, But They Can Give You Something Else

If you’re hoping that getting a cat or dog will cure your depression or anxiety — research suggests it probably won‘t. But that’s not your pet‘s failure. It’s that we might have put our expectations in the wrong place.

Let‘s start with three real scenarios. Which one sounds like you?

Scenario A: You live alone. You come home to an empty flat every day and feel like something is missing. You’re thinking about getting a cat or a dog, just to have a living thing waiting for you.

Scenario B: You‘re going through a rough time. Anxiety. Insomnia. Not wanting to see anyone. A friend says, “Get a dog. It’ll heal you.” You‘re tempted.

Scenario C: You already have a dog or a cat. But you still feel lonely. Still feel anxious. You start to wonder: “Is there something wrong with me? Or is my pet not good enough?”

If you recognise any of these — this article is for you.

First, a truth you might not want to hear

In May 2025, researchers from Aarhus University and King‘s College London tracked more than 6,000 people in the UK. They wanted to answer one question: Are pet owners actually mentally healthier?

The answer? Overall, no.

Pet owners scored almost the same on depression and anxiety as people without pets. The lead researcher admitted: “This contradicts the widely held belief that pets are beneficial for mental health.”

That doesn’t mean owning a pet makes you more depressed. It means: pets are not therapists.

Expecting a cat or dog to cure your anxiety or depression is like expecting a fridge to cure your cold. A fridge keeps food fresh. It doesn‘t treat illness. A pet can keep you company. But it cannot treat conditions that need professional help.

So what can a dog or cat actually give you?

If the “therapeutic value” of pets has been exaggerated, their “companionship value” is very real.

The same study found one exception: Among people who live alone, those with pets reported significantly lower loneliness than those without.

In other words — when you are the only human in your home, a cat or dog can genuinely fill some of that social空白.

A dog will run to the door, tail wagging, whole body wiggling with excitement. A cat will walk over slowly, rub against your leg, pretending it was just passing by — but the tip of its tail trembles just a little.

They don’t understand your work stress. They don‘t know why you’re sad. But they will lie at your feet and not move. They will push their head into your hand. They will show you their belly — the most vulnerable part of their body.

This isn‘t therapy. This is companionship.

Therapy ends. Companionship doesn’t.

Dogs and cats are different. But what they give you is the same.

Dogs and cats express love differently. But what they offer is the same thing — a living, breathing being that cares about you and will never judge you.

A dog‘s love is loud. It follows you from room to room just to watch you sit on the sofa. When you cry, it licks your tears off your face — not because it knows you’re crying, but because it doesn‘t like the salty taste. Either way, the result is the same: you cried, and it came.

A cat’s love is quiet. It may not rush over when you‘re sad. But when you calm down and look around, it’s never far away. It slow-blinks at you — in cat language, that‘s a kiss. It turns its back toward you — not rudeness, but the highest level of trust.

Whether you’re a dog person or a cat person, that feeling of being chosen by another creature is universal.

If you‘re thinking about getting a dog or cat — read these three things first

First, if you live alone and feel lonely, a dog or cat can genuinely offer companionship. That’s a reasonable expectation.

Second, don‘t expect a pet to “cure” your depression, anxiety, or other mental health conditions. That expectation will disappoint you, and it places a burden on your pet that was never meant to be theirs.

Third, owning a pet comes with stress, responsibility, and extra costs. Dogs need daily walks, even when it’s raining. Cats might run around at 3am. Your sofa might get scratched. Vet bills are not cheap. These things are real.

If you already have a pet but still feel lonely — that‘s not your fault

Many pet owners are afraid to say it out loud: “I have a dog. I have a cat. But I’m still struggling.”

As if having a pet means you‘re not allowed to be unhappy.

This is not your fault. And it’s not your pet‘s failure. Pets cannot solve everything. That’s normal. Depression, anxiety, loneliness — these things have complex causes. No dog or cat can single-handedly fix them.

If you need professional help — treat it with the same importance as taking your pet to the vet. Pets are not a substitute for medical care. Taking yourself to a counsellor is just as responsible as getting your cat neutered or your dog vaccinated.

If you feel like your pet “saved you” — your feeling is real

But some people will say: “But my dog really did save me.”

That’s not a lie.

Scientific research talks about average effects. The average data from 6,000 people cannot capture the unique moments between you and your pet. The time you cried and it came over to you. The time you wanted to give up and it was still there waiting for its meal. The time you were lying on the sofa and it brought its toy over and dropped it in your hand.

No data can measure these moments.

So these two things can both be true:

1、Science says pets are not a cure-all for mental health

2、You say my dog saved me

Both are right. They don‘t contradict each other.

So what is the point of having a pet

If you don’t need a “statistically significant mental health benefit” to prove that your sofa-chewing, 3am-zoomie-cat is worth it — then you already understand.

The point of having a pet was never about “curing” anything.

It‘s about the dog that lies on your keyboard when you work too late.
It’s about the cat that sits next to you when you cry.
It‘s about the creature that wakes you up every morning, reminds you to feed it, and tells you in its own way — “you’re home.”

These are not mental health interventions. They are just life.

Your pet has never read a psychology textbook. It doesn‘t know what cognitive behavioural therapy means. All it knows is: you’re back. And I‘m happy.

Sometimes, that’s enough.

If you‘re hesitating about getting a dog or cat:
Do it. But don’t expect it to solve all your problems. Welcome it as a life, not as a prescription.

If you already have a pet but still feel lonely:
Give yourself permission to feel that way. Your pet‘s companionship matters — but that doesn’t mean you should be fine. If you need help, go get it.

If you feel like your pet saved you:
Then it did. You don‘t need data to prove that.

You love them. They love you. For many people, that alone is a reason to keep going.

References

1、Parsons, C. et al. (2026). Pet ownership and mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic: Evidence from 6,018 UK adults. Mental Health & Prevention. Aarhus University & King’s College London.

2、PDSA (2024). PDSA Animal Wellbeing (PAW) Report.

3、Pets As Therapy (2026). It‘s true – pets make us feel more positive! Survey of 2,001 UK pet owners.