Pet Ownership, Successful Aging and Mortality: A Systematic Review of Longitudinal Studies.

Authors

Zeyun Feng, Fangyuan Lu, Xiao Yang, Ru Wang, Barbara E Ainsworth, Jun Ying, Jing Qian, Xingle Li, Marjolein Lugenberg, Robbert Gobbens

Published in

The Gerontologist. Jul 06, 2026. Epub Jul 06, 2026.

Abstract

Studies suggest that interactions with animals may promote health and successful aging; however, the evidence remains mixed in community-dwelling older adults. This study assesses longitudinal evidence on the associations between pet ownership and successful aging and mortality among community-dwelling older adults.
We conducted a systematic search across six databases for peer-reviewed studies and gray literature. After removing duplicates (1214 of 3615 records) 2401 studies were independently screened by two authors using predefined eligibility criteria. Study quality was assessed using the 9-point Newcastle-Ottawa Scale for Cohort Studies.
Of the remaining 26 studies from 21 countries and regions, 20 reported a positive association between pet ownership, successful aging, and lower all-cause mortality rates. Positive associations were found for physiological functioning (3/7), cognitive functioning (3/4), physical functioning (6/9), being actively engaged in life (2/3), being psychologically well-adapted (3/7), lower all-cause mortality rates (2/6), CVD mortality rates (2/3), and cancer mortality rates (0/1). Negative associations were observed for physical functioning (1/9), being psychologically well-adapted in later life (1/7), and having lower mortality rates (2/8). No associations were found for physiological function (5/7), cognitive functioning (4/4), physical functioning (4/9), being actively engaged in life (1/3), all-cause mortality (4/6), CVD mortality (2/3), and cancer mortality (1/1).
Pet ownership may be a modifiable factor that supports healthy aging, though its impact is context-dependent. Therefore, future research should prioritize longitudinal, mixed-method designs to clarify causal mechanisms and optimize targeted interventions for diverse aging populations.

PMID:
42406395
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 06 Jul 2026.

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