Pawsitive Vibes: Benefits Of Animals In Movies
Science Says: Cute Animals And Pets Make You Happier
Image by L.E. WilsonĀ fromĀ RedBubble based on work by Carl S fromĀ Pixabay
There is something about domesticated animals that we humans tend to find calming and soothing. Some scientists believe this is because pets exhibit baby-like features that make them lovable, which explains why so many people want to keep and care for animals and why there is a āwidespread inclusion of animals in therapeutic and educational interventions.ā1 According to a 2018 research paper, āBrief, unstructured interactions with [unfamiliar] dogs boosted childrenās positive emotions and reduced anxiety.ā2 The researchers found that these benefits were not just due to touching the dogs, but of interacting with them.
In case youāve never experienced these kinds of positive emotions firsthand when being around animals, the above is just a quick explanation for why the vast majority of people find most animals endearing and pets, in particular, heartwarming. Moreover, you donāt have to live with an animal to reap some of the benefits they bring because it turns out that just seeing images of cute animals is pretty effective in invoking positive behaviors in humans.3
Clearly then, this is where the power of movies can come into play, and it should be no surprise that some of the most beloved and enduring films are those centered around a familiar animal like a pet or a pet-like creature. So here for your viewing pleasure, and for your increased mental health, are a few movies featuring cute animals that are sure to make you happier.
Lady and the Tramp (1955) is an animatedĀ fantasy co-directed by Clyde Geronimi, based on the storyĀ in Cosmopolitan magazine,Ā āHappy Dan, the Cynical Dogā by Ward Green, about the adventures of two dogs, Lady (Barbara Luddy), an American Cocker Spaniel from a wealthy family, and Tramp (Larry Roberts), a stray mutt.
LifeĀ Lesson: Life is an adventure.
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The Shaggy DogĀ (1959)Ā is a fantasy directed by Charles Barton, based on the book The Hound of FlorenceĀ by Felix Salten, about Wilby Daniels (Tommy Kirk), a teenager who turns into an Old English Sheepdog.
LifeĀ Lesson: Find someone to talk to about your problems.
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One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961) is an animatedĀ fantasy co-directed by Clyde Geronimi, based on the book by Dodie Smith, about a pair of Dalmatian dogs, Pongo (Rod Taylor) and Perdita (Cate Bauer), whose puppies are stolen by Cruella De Vil (Betty Lou Gerson), a villain who wants to make coats for herself out of the dogsā furs.
LifeĀ Lesson: Never give up.
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Charlotteās WebĀ (1973)Ā is an animated fantasy directed by Charles A. Nichols and Iwao TakamotoĀ about the friendships that a small pig named Wilbur (Henry Gibson) makes while living on a farm, most notably with a girl, Fern Arable (Pamelyn Ferdin), a gosling, Jeffrey (Don Messick), and a spider, Charlotte A. Cavatica (Debbie Reynolds).
LifeĀ Lesson: You can be friends with anybody.
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My Neighbor Totoro (1988) is an anime fantasy written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki about a family that moves into an area near a Totoro forest spirit (a kami).
LifeĀ Lesson: Donāt be scared.
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Lilo & StitchĀ (2002)Ā is an animated fantasy co-written and co-directed by Chris SandersĀ and Dean DeBloisĀ aboutĀ Lilo (Daveigh Chase) and Nani (Tia Carrere),Ā a lonely pair of sistersĀ who adopt an unusual dog, Stitch (Chris Sanders), that turns out to be a fugitive from another world.
LifeĀ Lesson: āFamily is what you make it.ā ā Marge Kennedy & Janet Spencer King
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Madagascar (2005) is an animatedĀ fantasy co-written and co-directed by Eric DarnellĀ and Tom McGrathĀ about a group of New York City Zoo animals who travel to the island of Madagascar and struggle to adjust to their new surroundings.
LifeĀ Lesson: Give everything a fair chance.
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UpĀ (2009)Ā is an animated fantasy co-written and co-directed by Pete DocterĀ andĀ Bob PetersonĀ about an elderly widower, Carl Fredricksen (Ed Asner), who moves his house with the help of a young boy, Russell (Jordan Nagai), toĀ South America,Ā in orderĀ to fulfill a lifelong wish he shared with his wife Ellie.
LifeĀ Lesson: Caring forĀ living beings isĀ more meaningfulĀ than caring forĀ material possessions.
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Actor James Cromwell once noted that "pets are humanizing. They remind us we have an obligation and responsibility to preserve and nurture and care for all life." Indeed, anyone who has ever had a pet would agree with this sentiment, as well as that of poet Anatole France, who observed that "until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened." Or as the famous dog-centered cartoonist Charles Schulz, creator of Snoopy, more succinctly put it, āhappiness is a warm puppy.ā
I leave you with one of the best motivational and aspirational quotes out there:
Be the person your dog thinks you are!
ā C.J. Frick
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Borgi, M., & Cirulli, F. (2016). Pet face: Mechanisms underlying human-animal relationships. Frontiers in Psychology, 7, 298.
Molly K. Crossman, Alan E. Kazdin, Angela Matijczak, Elizabeth
R. Kitt & Laurie R. Santos (2018): The Influence of Interactions with Dogs on Affect, Anxiety, and Arousal in Children, Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology, 49(4), 535ā548.
Sherman, G. D., Haidt, J., & Coan, J. A. (2009). Viewing cute images increases behavioral carefulness. Emotion, 9(2), 282ā286