If you have generally good health then having a cat can help you maintain and even improve your well-being. However, if your immune system is seriously compromised for any reason( cancer, cirrhosis of the liver, drugs or alcohol abuse, HIV positive status, organ transplantation, or similar) then having a cat as a pet is not recommended.
Having a cat is very beneficial for human health. But consider cats more like preventive medicine than treatment for current illnesses. Having a cat as a pet may improve your mood, reduce loneliness, decrease your cholesterol numbers.
Kids raised around cats will have lower chances to develop asthma. Your cat may help you with pain in bones and muscles but also can reduce your anxiety and stress.
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Can A Cat Lower Your Risk Of Heart Disease?
”A new study shows that cat owners are less likely to die of a heart attack and other cardiovascular diseases than people who had never had a pet cat” says WebMed expert (follow the link to WebMD website)
The findings that came out of that study clearly showed that people who never had a cat as a pet in their lives had 40% more chances to die of a heart attack and even 30% more chances to die of any cardiovascular disease.
Did you know that having a cat can reduce the risk of getting a stroke by more than a third according to many researchers and scientists?
The presence of the cat in your life is associated with a reduction of stress and blood pressure which further may reduce the risk of getting any cardiovascular disease.
Due to their peaceful nature, cats have a calming effect on humans. It’s said that even people who are in the process of rehabilitation after some cardiovascular surgeries and procedures will recover faster if there is a cat pet in their vicinity.
The experts say that owning a cat can be compared ( as preventive measures) with going on a low salt diet to reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
Do Cats Help With Mental Health?
Definitely! Your immune system will get a boost just from the emotion of having a cat.
Cats are very entertaining creatures. They will make you laugh every day. They are capable to improve your mood and reduce your depression.
If you live alone or your family members are too busy, having a cat can significantly decrease your loneliness.
Despite the opinion that cats are aloof, unfriendly, and selfish animals, many cat owners will verify the felines are great companions and also can be social and emotional support animals.
Some scientists claim that having a cat around stimulates your body to release some chemicals which lower the stress and anxiety level.
Cats are known as low-maintenance pets. On many occasions, a short soft cuddling session is something that will make you both ( you and your cat ) happy.
Cat’s purring has a sedative effect on the human nervous system. It pacifies us.
Can Having A Cat Help Your Child Not to Develop Allergies and Asthma?
According to the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention, more than 8% of children in the United States have asthma.
National Institutes of Health (USA) released a study that showed the following- the kids that are exposed to pets in general but cats in particular from their early life (under 1 year of age) are less likely to develop asthma, pet allergies, or any other type of allergies ( dust, grass or ragweed).
Another study (the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology – Jakob Stokholm, MD, PhD, Bo L. Chawes, MD, PhD, DMSc
Nadja Vissing, MD, PhD…) came out with interesting findings related to cats, children, and allergies.
Kids that have had pets, especially cats during their whole life are less likely to develop pet allergies from those who get pet cats later in life or were exposed to cats only during the infancy period.
Believe it or not, almost 80% of people who have been allergic to cats, never had a cat as a pet.
Can Cats Purring Heal You?
As we have already mentioned, a cat’s purring has a calming effect on humans but that’s not all.
Purring is a powerful healing weapon and it’s not created for humans. The vibration the cat produces during this activity has a major healing effect on the cat itself.
It’s wrong to think that cats purr only if they are happy. As matter of fact, they purr if they are sick or in pain. They also purr to get rid of stress.
When the female cat is about to deliver kittens she purrs as to help herself. Kittens start to purr when they are just a few days old and this sound and vibrations help their mother to find them when it’s time for them to eat.
The good thing is that we also can benefit from these great natural healing vibrations. Their frequency range is between 25-140 HZ. The healing frequencies that are used in therapies for humans are very similar to these.
Lower frequencies (25-50 HZ ) are helping bones to become stronger and higher frequencies ( around 100 Hz) have healing effects on tissues.
Can Cat Help You Sleep Better?
Some owners claim that their cat’s rhythmic breathing helps them fall asleep much faster. This could be true but whether you will have a peaceful sleep and sweet dreams depends on how does your cat sleeps? Does she sleep calmly or not.
There are some studies that showed that people ( especially women) prefer to sleep with their cats, rather than with humans, saying that cats bring them peace. This is really up to you and your cat. Every cat is different and has its own personality, as well as humans so we cannot generalize this.
Conclusion
Cats are low-maintenance pets with a lot of positive effects on human well-being. They can be great companions, plenty of them could be really attached to their owners.
Having a cat can reduce the risk of stroke and heart attack but also decrease your anxiety and stress. If you have back pain and knee problems, most likely your feline pet will recognize that and will try to help you with her purring.
Don’t be surprised if she succeeds. Above all, you might save some money on medical expenses as you don’t have to pay for expensive therapies.
Kids raised around cats are less likely to develop allergies and asthma. No need to say how useful the interaction with animals is for a child from his/her early age.
Even though cats don’t require walking and physical activity as dogs do, still you can be active around them. They are surely thrilled if you play with them every day and they will make you laugh every time. Physical activity and joy, what else do you need to be happy and healthy!
