Is there a 'pet effect' on our health?

The general claim that living with a pet makes for a happier, healthier or longer life may not be true, according to a new research.

"I'm not trying to denigrate the role of animals in human life, I'm trying to do just the opposite," says Harold Herzog, Professor of Psychology at the Western Carolina University, who is also a pet owner and pet lover.

It's entirely plausible that our pets really do provide medical and psychological benefits, but "we just don't know how strong that effect is, what types of people it works for, and what the underlying biological and psychological mechanisms might be", he says.

On a more practical level, it's clear that pets can serve a therapeutic function in certain situations - the issue is figuring out which ones, says Herzog.

"Let's say it turns out that some kids with autism benefit from interacting with animals - wouldn't it be great to be able to know which kids are going to benefit and which aren't?"