Human Health Benefits of Non-Conventional Companion Animals: A Narrative Review

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Bonds with companion animals are believed to benefit human physical, psychological, and social health. Most research into the human–animal bond has focused on dogs, cats, and horses. However, many people have close relationships with other species such as fish, birds, and reptiles, yet there is limited research into human health benefits that relationships with these animals might offer. This review identified empirical studies and newspaper articles which examined health benefits from bonds with any animal species that was not cat, dog, or horse. We found studies on the health benefits of bonds with companion birds, fish, snakes, tortoises, insects, and amphibians. We also found media articles discussing the health benefits of bonds with rabbits and rats. Studies were primarily descriptive and media articles anecdotal. Nevertheless, the results suggest that non-conventional companion animal species do benefit human health. Further research is needed that examines the human–animal bond, including non-traditional companion animal species, drawing on rigorous empirical methodologies. ABSTRACT: Research investigating health benefits from household human–animal bonds has focused mostly on bonds with companion dogs, cats, and horses. Wellbeing benefits associated with other companion animal species such as birds, fish, and reptiles are described and anecdotally reported, but there is little empirical literature supporting this. The literature suggests that health benefits of companion animals are predicated on human perceptions of the animal rather than the animal’s species. Therefore, relationships with non-conventional companion animals of diverse species may benefit the health of their human guardians as do dogs, cats, and horses. This narrative review summarizes the current literature exploring perceived health benefits gained from non-conventional companion animals. Searches were conducted for published literature and grey literature up to October 2022 across PsycINFO and PubMed databases, and Newsbank media database for commercial media publications. Nineteen studies and 10 media articles were included in the review. Gaps in the literature include a lack of rigorous research to investigate the health benefits of non-conventional companion animals. Non-conventional companion animals may benefit their guardians by providing social support through acting as attachment figures, facilitating social opportunities and daily routines, fulfilling cognitive needs, and recreating restorative capacities of mindfully observing natural landscapes. Further high-quality research into the human-non-conventional companion animal bond is warranted.