Our boy went from looking up rabbit care to adopting a house rabbit from the SPCA in about two weeks. By "house" I mean my house. And we already have a dog, Banjo, because he really wanted a pet and we deluded ourselves, as do many parents, that it would be good for him. Teach him responsibility, give him a reason to go for walks, etc.
One of the widely-held beliefs is that pets are good for wellbeing. There is a good amount of research out there to suggest that exposure to pets can be particularly good for some groups of people. For example, many trials that have involved taking cats and dogs into retirement homes show pronounced impacts on happiness, at least until the trial ends and the animals stop coming.
So surely, having pets in general is good for us? In 2021, a team of local researchers led by my Victoria University of Wellington psychology colleague Gloria Fraser set out to test this, using data from the large-scale New Zealand Attitudes and Values Study (NZAVS), a big, nationally representative, longitudinal survey-based study that has become something of a world-leading machine for research.
This story is from the December 16-22, 2023 edition of New Zealand Listener.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the December 16-22, 2023 edition of New Zealand Listener.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Seeds of hope
A team of botanists is saving one of our most threatened orchids and reintroducing it into the wild.
The Clinton factor
Kamala Harris is battling a double whammy of racism and sexism in her presidential quest.
Stuff & nonsense
The gutsy woman who took on ownership of media company Stuff for $1 scoffs at the idea that she's a mogul.
Pop goes the union
It's a wee, thin piece of plastic, barely a centimetre long, but it's as good as a whole new referendum to reaffirm that the Brexit spirit is alive and in grumbling good health.
Delusions of grandeur
In life, and therefore in politics, when things become difficult at home we tend to look at problems elsewhere, either for distraction or reassurance.
A virtuoso on display
Artand music combine across the centuries ina new album from Somi Kim.
Cold, hard facts
In his latest documentary, Patrick Gower examines climate change and its repercussions.
The selfish giant
Violin great Maxim Vengerov was a child prodigy in Siberia. Now, he is coming to NZ to play the instrument's greatest concerto.
Kindred souls
A love for the sound of British Northern soul leads to an unlikely alliance in this big-hearted novel.
Hungry for history
Irish chefs are taking the best of the country's traditional ingredients and giving them a top-class 21st-century spin.
