Research Shows That Owning Cats Can, Indeed, Heal You
Thanks, kitty!
Pexels / Gabriel Maia For people who love cats, there's nothing cuter than watching funny cat videos on the internet. Or, if you have your own kitty, it's a great relief to come home after a hard day and get snuggles from your cat (even if they pretend they don't like it).
Cats aren't just cute as heck and friendly companions. It turns out, cats can actually be good for you, too.
Sure, they bring us laughter in the form of funny behavior often caught on video, but do you know the health benefits of having a cat?
4 health benefits of owning a cat
1. Owning a cat can actually reduce your risk of having a heart attack.
According to an impressive 10-year study of more than 4,000 Americans, cat owners showed a 30 percent lower risk of death by heart attack than those who didn't have a feline companion.
Participants had a lower heart rate, lower stress levels, and lower blood pressure.
Dr Adnan Qureshi, senior author of the study, said, “For years we have known that psychological stress and anxiety are related to cardiovascular events, particularly heart attacks.”
Qureshi said having pets probably helped to relieve stress. The researchers said while dogs probably had a similar effect, there weren’t enough dog owners in the study to show this conclusively.
2. Cat owners less likely to suffer from depression
Studies have found that cat owners are less likely to suffer from depression, high blood pressure, high triglyceride and cholesterol levels, and they even have fewer doctors visits on average.
People with dogs had the greatest health benefits, but pretty much any pet will do.
3. Cat purrs may promote healing and bone density.
The cat's purr is even said to be therapeutic.
According to research published in Scientific American, cats purr in a consistent pattern between 25 and 150 Hertz.
This frequency helps promote healing and even bone density. Cat ladies, take note.
Having a happy cat makes your bones stronger.
4. Cats help patients with different ailments in unique ways.
Even WebMD notes that Alzheimer's patients have fewer outbursts if they have a pet, and pet owners with AIDS are less likely to suffer from depression.
People with high blood pressure are able to navigate stressful situation and heart attack patients who have pets survive longer.
Thanks, kitty!
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