A retrospective study published in March in the scientific journal PLOS One found that Japanese kids who grew up with dogs or cats in the home were about half as likely to develop asthma as children who did not live with pets.
The protective effects were similar for exposure to both dogs and cats, but in the case of dogs, exposure in the child’s first year of life is more critical. For cats, exposure at any age had a protective effect.
Researchers do not yet know the specific reason that exposure to pets might reduce the likelihood of developing asthma and allergies.
This article was originally published by Catster.com. Read the original article here.