National Take Your Cat to the Vet Day is an opportunity is raise awareness for the importance of making sure pet cats receive proper veterinary care. Cats make wonderful companions, and science shows that cat ownership can provide comfort and social support, improve heart health and resiliency and even help children with Autism. Cats may be more independent compared to some of their canine counterparts, but they need regular veterinary care all the same.   According to a report from the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), while about 79 percent of dog owners scheduled annual preventative care in 2016, only about 47 percent of cat owners did the same. Additional research shows that 21 percent of cat owners said they take their cat to the vet only after it already showing signs of illness, and as many as half of all cat owners said taking their cat to the vet is not important, contrary to the advice of veterinarians.   Booking a trip to the veterinarian – especially if you have questions about the process – can be stressful, for both you and your cat. The good news is that there are many resources from the pet care community on how to help...

April is Autism Awareness Month, and HABRI is taking this opportunity to raise awareness of the many scientifically-documented ways the human-animal bond can benefit individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).  Research shows that pets in the home can improve prosocial behaviors in children with ASD by providing companionship, unconditional love, and improved mental health[1]. Evidence also supports the incorporation of animals into educational and classroom settings as beneficial for improving social skills and behavior in children with ASD[2].   While research predominantly focuses on the impact of dog ownership and interaction for this population, scientific evidence, including recently published results from HABRI-funded research, shows that individuals with ASD can benefit from owning and interacting with other types of animals as well.   Cats  The calmer, quieter temperament of a pet cat may be beneficial for a child with Autism. The Feline Friends Study, placed temperament-screened shelter cats with families of children with ASD to study children’s social behavior and attachment to the cat. Findings demonstrate that children with an...

Pets can contribute to healthy aging and even longer life! Studies suggest that pets can positively influence factors that contribute to longevity, including reducing stress, facilitating resiliency against cardiovascular disease, and connecting us to a network of social support. To highlight this scientific evidence, HABRI has created a new infographic highlighting the ways pets can help us live longer. We hope that in sharing this information, we can raise awareness of the many ways in which pets improve our lives. While there is always more research that needs to be done, sharing what we know now can have a positive impact for people and pets. We know that pet owners are more likely to take better care of their pets when they learn how good their pets are for them –reinforcing the mutually-beneficial relationship that builds the human-animal bond. Please consider posting this infographic on your social media channels, websites and sharing it with your colleagues, friends and family. Thank you! References https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/facts.htm Levine, G. N., Allen, K., Braun, L. T., Christian, H. E., Friedmann, E., Taubert, K. A., … & Lange, R. A. (2013). Pet ownership...

Results from this HABRI-funded study conducted by researchers at Purdue University are among the first to demonstrate the benefits of psychiatric service dogs for military veterans with PTSD. Please consider sharing this infographic on your social media channels, websites and with your colleagues, friends and families to raise awareness of the many ways in which the human-animal bond can make a positive difference in the lives of people with PTSD.

To help us raise awareness of the health benefits of the human-animal bond with Spanish and Chinese speaking pet owners, we’ve translated the ‘Top 5 Benefits of the Human-Animal Bond’ infographic into Spanish and Mandarin! Download the English language infographic here. Download the Spanish language infographic here. Download the Mandarin Chinese language infographic here. HABRI hopes that in sharing this far and wide, we can encourage people to take care of their pets and remind them that in good times and in bad, our companion animals can be wonderful sources of comfort, joy and support. Please consider posting this infographic on your social media channels, websites and share with your colleagues, friends and family to help us strengthen the human-animal bond for all! #gallery-1 { margin: auto; } #gallery-1 .gallery-item { float: left; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 33%; } #gallery-1 img { border: 2px solid #cfcfcf; } #gallery-1 .gallery-caption { margin-left: 0; } /* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */ 中文 – 五大益处 人与动物关 English...

  Are you a veterinary professional in need of CE hours to close out the year? Do you want to find a way to connect with your clients and your purpose? There’s a way to do both, and it’s getting Human-Animal Bond Certified. For International Human-Animal Bond Day this November 8th, sign up and receive a discounted price of $129.00. Why get Human-Animal Bond Certified? Human-Animal Bond Certified is the only continuing education course solely dedicated to helping veterinary professionals learn and communicate the science of the human-animal bond. As keepers of the human-animal bond, there is no better authority to communicate the science supporting health benefits of the bond than veterinarians and their dedicated teams. The veterinary clinic is already the most important source of information on pet health, and it only takes a short conversation to also make them the key source of information on the human-animal bond. Why is this important? Research from the Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI) demonstrates that with increased knowledge of the science behind the human-animal bond, pet owners are more likely to invest time and resources in the health and wellness of...