Most pet owners love their dogs, cats or other animals, making them part of their family. In return, pets can make their owners feel loved and help them enjoy life.
Earlier studies showed that pets can help reduce worries in their owners, said Tiffany Braley. And her study shows that owning a pet can also help slow cognitive decline （认知衰退） in old people. Cognitive decline means losing one or more cognitive abilities, such as memory （记忆） or language skills. In the study, people over 65 years old who owned pets for more than five years were better able to remember words than non﹣pet owners.
One example of someone who slowed cognitive decline by keeping a pet is former U. S. President Jimmy Carter. After he was sick in 2015, Carter started spending more time at his home with his pets. He said that his dogs were a great comfort during what was a difficult time for him. He described how training his new puppy made him stay sharp（头脑清醒的）.
Studies have shown that owning a pet is really helpful. In Carter's case, his dogs not only helped him with his illness but also kept him cognitively healthy.
