Attachment to Pets

"Attachment to Pets not only reviews the research literature but also presents and explains a solid scientific rationale for the basis of human health benefits of companion animals and why Animal-Assisted Intervention can be successful. For these reasons, this is an important book for anyone who is interested in positive human - animal interactions, especially with companion animals, and for practitioners, such as psychologists, social workers, and educators, who conduct any type of animal-assisted intervention. An important contribution to the field, and I would recommend that researchers and practitioners of Animal-Assisted Intervention read Attachment to Pets." Kathleen C. Gerbasi, social psychologist, anthrozoologist, dog lover, and professor of psychology at Niagara County Community College in Sanborn, NY in PsycCritiques, Vol. 59, 2014 "This is a fascinating book, and covers the literature in both an accessible and lively way and I would recommend it both for those who share their lives with animals and those who might use them in therapy. This is a relatively short book (less than 200 pages) but don't take that to mean it is light on detail. It is packed with research evidence and I was impressed with the comprehensive way the authors had put this together." Tony Wainwright in Clinical Psychology Forum, 2013 For full review see http://dcp.bps.org.uk/dcp/dcp-publications/clinical-psychology-forum/book-reviews/julius-beetz-kotrschal-turner-%26-uvnas-moberg-attachment-to-pets$.cfm. "Attachment to Pets presents an interdisciplinary view of the concept of attachment that is crucial to the understanding of human-animal interactions in the therapeutic milieu. [It] is the missing book that needed to be written about the importance of the oxytocinergic system in the attachment that humans may have with animals. The authors are excellent ... The book is a helpful read for clinicians and an imperative read for researchers, especially students interested in the field of anthrozoology. ... I discovered this book to be a much needed treasure [and] wonderful piece of scientific writing..." Robin R. Norris, PhD, in Canadian Journal of Counseling and Psychotherapy, Vol. 47, 2013

From the contents The mysterious relationship between humans and animals Why humans are willing and able to relate to animals: the evolutionary biology perspective Effects of human-animal interaction on health, social interaction, mood, autonomous nervous system, and hormones Physiology of relationships: the integrative function of oxytocin Interpersonal human relationships: attachment and caregiving Connecting attachment and caregiving with their physiological basis Human-animal relationships: attachment and caregiving Bringing the strands together: physiology of attachment and caregiving in human-animal relationships Practical implications for therapy