The Health Benefits of Cute

Take 10 minutes of Animal Planet and call us in the morning. Or dose up on those videos of hilariously clumsy cats or dogs skidding on ice. Watching films of animal life -- not mean ones, just funny or beautiful ones -- may help you beat stress, which makes you feel great while dropping your risk of scores of health problems.

When people watched 10 minutes of animal footage, their heart rate and blood pressure not only dipped while they were under stress but also stayed lower afterward. It didn't matter whether the animal was scaly, feathered, or furry. Even better, the sound doesn't have to be on to reap the calming benefits, so you can sneak a peek at the latest panda/polar bear/Labrador retriever clips before your next tension-filled meeting and your officemates will never know.

Of course, owning an actual pet, not just a video of one, bestows some serious health benefits, too. One study of stressed-out stockbrokers found that while drugs reduced their resting blood pressure, adding a pet to the mix lowered their blood pressure response to stress. Other pluses: Owning a dog may reduce depression, and walking it (or walking someone else's) can help you drop pounds. Some research shows that heart attack survivors who own dogs are more likely to be alive a year later than are dog-free people who had heart trouble.

Don't want the poopie side of pet ownership? Then stick to video, or consider setting up a bird feeder outside your window.