Source: French to English Tester Published on: 2026-04-21
Source: The Conversation – France in French (3)– By Tiphaine Blanchard, teacher in geriatrics and veterinary nutrition, National Veterinary School of Toulouse; Inrae
More and more studies show that living with a dog or a cat can have positive effects on physical health and mental well-being. These effects are notably due to the strong attachment owners have to their pets. An original study focused on this bond and its main characteristics.
In France, pets are not just companions: they actively contribute to our well-being. But what does this bond reveal about our mental health and lifestyles?
Onerecent studyconducted at the National Veterinary School of Toulouse has made it possible, for the first time, to measure the attachment of the French to their dogs and cats.
Animals, allies of our physical and mental health
The benefits of having an animal present on human health are no longer to be demonstrated. Numerous studies show that it is associated with areduction of cardiovascular riskand that she canhelp reduce stress, especially among people who maintain a strong emotional bond with their pet.
The owners ofdogs, for example, walk more, have a more active social life, and exhibit alower risk of depression. Among theelderly people, studies suggest that the presence of an animal helps topreserve cognitive abilities, such as memory, as well as themorale, while in children, it promotesthe learning of empathy and responsibilities.
This link is not only behavioral: it also touches our emotional needs. In a society marked by thesolitude,anxietyand theaging of the population, the dog or thecatsometimes becomes a real psychological support, capable of creating a feeling of stability and usefulness in daily life.
However, this relationship, beneficial in many cases, can also become a source of emotional distress. Some people develop aanxious attachmentTo their animal, characterized by excessive anxiety at the idea of separation or when the animal becomes ill.
In elderly people, even without strong attachment, forced separation from their animal during hospitalization or entry into a nursing home often represents areal trauma, since the animal is part of their emotional balance and their daily life.
Also to read:
When cats improve the quality of life in nursing homes
The human-animal relationship as a therapeutic tool
The positive effects of the human-animal bond are now being utilized in several hospital and medico-social programs.
The presence of animals inmedico-social establishments(type nursing home) can encourage exchanges, evoke memories, and help temporarily break the feeling of loneliness among residents. Offering animal-assisted therapyin psychotherapies intended for adolescentsalso proves beneficial. Finally, in certain unitspediatric, notably inoncology, specially trained animals accompany patients during care to reduce anxiety and improve well-being during hospitalization.
More recently, several French police stations have introduced the presence ofkittensto soothe the victims of violence, an approach inspired by measures already implemented abroad. Thus, in the United States, somespecially trained dogsare integrated into certain police stations and courts to support victims during hearings. To date, there is no scientific data evaluating their impact in this specific context, but thetestimoniesare positive. Furthermore, benefits have been reported among professionals: astudyA survey conducted with Canadian police officers showed that the presence of dogs in their work environment was perceived as reducing stress and improving well-being.
This topic deserves to be explored through specific research to study the extent to which contact with an animal helps restore a sense of security after a trauma.
These initiatives, increasingly widespread, all rely on the same idea: strengthening human health by relying on the relationship with animals. Understanding the complex links between well-being, dependence, and vulnerability requires a reliable tool, which did not exist in the French version until recently.
A first scale to measure attachment to one’s pet in France
To better understand these relationships, little studied in France, an international reference tool has beentranslated into FrenchÂ: the Lexington Attachment to Pets Scale (LAPS). This tool allows quantifying the emotional attachment between an owner and their animal through 23 items (for example: “My animal understands when I am sad”).
Nearly 1,900 French dog and cat owners responded to this survey.
How do we measure attachment to one’s animal?
The LAPS scale assigns an attachment score from 0 to 69, with a higher score indicating a stronger attachment of the owner to their animal.
In France, dog owners achieved a median score of 58.5 compared to 52 for cats. This is higher than in England, Denmark, or Austria!
Marked differences according to the profile of the owners
The study highlights several factors influencing the attachment score:
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Women have a higher score than men, a result also observed in other countries.
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People living without children also have a higher score, their pets sometimes playing the role of substitute family figures.
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Dog owners have a higher score than cat owners, perhaps due to more active interaction.
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People with a higher level of education have lower scores, perhaps because they tend to express their emotional attachment less.
These trends reflect profound social realities. In a society where loneliness is increasing, where families are being reshaped, and where remote work is becoming widespread, the animal plays an increasingly emotional role. It soothes, structures daily life, and fulfills a need for connection that human relationships do not always satisfy.
When our dogs and cats become our attachment figures
In psychology, theattachment theorydescribes our fundamental need for security and reassurance from an “attachment figure,” often a parent, a partner, or… an animal.
Dogs, more demonstrative, offer an emotional interactionclose to that of a childÂ: they solicit, react, express joy. Cats, more independent, sometimes require a form of attachment that is more “projective,” where the owner interprets their signs of affection.
These differences explain why dogs obtain higher attachment scores: they actively respond to the human need for connection and reciprocity. But in all owners, the attachment is very real.
And now? When the health of the animal influences that of the owner
The French validated version of the LAPS scale is already used in other research work.
One of them focuses on the impact of osteoarthritis in dogs on the daily life of their owners. When an animal suffers, it is often the entire household that feels the consequences. You can participate in this new study by answeringthis online questionnaire :
The questionnaire is addressed to all dog owners, whether or not they are affected by arthritis, in order to better understand how the health of dogs affects that of their owners and to improve the joint care of the dog and its family.
Tiphaine Blanchard does not work for, advise, hold shares in, receive funds from any organization that could benefit from this article, and has declared no other affiliation than her research organization.
–ref. Dogs, cats and mental health: how attached are the French to their pets? –https://theconversation.com/dogs-cats-and-mental-health-to-what-extent-are-the-french-attached-to-their-pets-280326