A post from Queensland Health has been ridiculed after for urging people not to kiss their pets or let them sleep in the same bed.

So how do the risks of pet ownership stack up to the presumed benefits of having a furry (feathery or scaly) friend?

Norman and Tegan take a look at the evidence – and some of its flaws – and reignite the age-old cat vs dog debate.

References:

If you have a pet as a kid, does this lower your risk of asthma and eczema? | WEHI
Zoonotic diseases and pets | American Veterinary Medical Association
Behavioral changes induced by Toxoplasma infection of rodents are highly specific to aversion of cat odors | PNAS
Pet Ownership and Quality of Life: A Systematic Review of the Literature
Is Dog Ownership Associated with Mental Health? A Population Study of 68,362 Adults Living in England
No beneficial associations between living with a pet and mental health outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic in a large UK longitudinal sample - ScienceDirect
Pet ownership, loneliness, and social isolation: a systematic review | Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology
The Relationship Between Attachment to Pets and Mental Health and Wellbeing: A Systematic Review
Pet ownership and maintenance of cognitive function in community-residing older adults: evidence from the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging (BLSA) | Scientific Reports
Dog owners are more likely to meet physical activity guidelines than people without a dog: An investigation of the association between dog ownership and physical activity levels in a UK community | Scientific Reports
A modest protective association between pet ownership and cardiovascular diseases: A systematic review and meta-analysis | PLOS One
Dog, cat, bird, fish, and other pet ownership and mortality: Evidence from the HILDA cohort
Long-term stress levels are synchronized in dogs and their owners | Scientific Reports

If you enjoyed this episode, check these out!

You can listen to more episodes of the What’s That Rash? podcast with presenters Norman Swan and Tegan Taylor on the ABC Listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. We answer your questions on everything from TikTok wellness trends to wonder drugs and diet myths.

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Butter vs margarine: what's better for you?

Butter vs margarine: what's better for you? •
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