Bob
I love having animals....right now I don't have any though, but I am considering getting another cat. My beloved male cat Buffy ( male ) who was an orange tabby lived to be 15 1/2 yrs old. Our Husky Tiana ( female ) lived to be 13 yrs old. I agree that animals are good for health reasons etc.
Like i said, I am considering getting another cat, simply due to the fact that cats can and do take care of their own basic needs for the most part....you just need to feed them and love them. You can leave them for awhile, go away for a couple of days and even for an extended amount of time if you have someone check on them although I have never done that ).
In the past when I have been admitted to the hospital, my DH has been here in the house or my sister has checked on the animals for us, so there's no problems.
So, if you are thinking of getting a service cat or dog, go for it ! I am sure you will enjoy it !