Older people deciding not to have pets as challenges and concerns outweigh benefits

It’s well known that pets are good for our wellbeing, can reduce our anxiety and stress, and offer love and companionship.

But as we get older we’re less likely to have a furry friend in our lives.

The latest Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey found just 11 per cent of Australian pet owners are aged 65 and over. That age group made up nearly 23 percent of those Australians who don’t own a pet.

University of South Australia’s Janette Young, who has researched the positive health effects of pet ownership, says there’s a range of reasons for older people not owning pets.

Dr Young says people’s biggest fear is what happens to their animal if something happens to them.

“People are making this careful and conscious…