I am a cat person. I’ve always had cats or lived around cats. They can be peculiar, and stand-offish, and downright adorable. Dogs have always seemed cute to me, but not exceptional in the way cats can be. Two years ago, I developed a new appreciation for dogs during an Outward Bound dog-sledding and cross-country ski trip. One of my goals is to one day adopt one of the retired Outward Bound sled dogs. They are intelligent, extremely hard-working and sociable, and are hard not to fall in love with instantly.

A new study, which will come as no surprise to dog lovers, says that having a dog can be fantastic for your health, especially for people who live alone. The study showed that:

For people living alone, owning a dog can decrease their risk of death by 33% and their risk of cardiovascular related death by 36%, when compared to single individuals without a pet, according to the study. Chances of a heart attack were also found to be 11% lower.

I confess I’m jealous of the way dogs interact with their owners, like they actually acknowledge and appreciate them. There’s no questioning this with dogs. I know my cat loves me deep down, but sometimes I’m not so sure. She often looks at me like she is plotting ways to kill me, a look all cat owners are familiar with.

Dog owners have a generally higher level of physical activity which may be one reason for the results. Have you ever walked a cat? I have, it’s certainly not the same as walking a dog, though potentially more amusing.  Along with increased physical activity, the study suggested that “increased social-well being and immune system development” contributed to “protection against cardiovascular disease and death.”