Not surprising to many pet-owners, but MSNBC reports that petting pets make you feel better. This raises an important question: should colleges make animals avaliable as a stress-reduction technique? Imagine the benefit of a really nice dog in selected dorms – people allergic to dogs need not live there – that you could go and play with for a while. Or, during a counseling session, having a warm fuzzy cat curl up in your lap.

My high school math teacher brought her dog, Logan, to class daily. The tone of the room palpably changed from zoned-out students to alert ones, interested in math and calmed by the dog. It was by far the best math experience of my life.

– KF –