Cats are awesome!
And why would anyone disagree? Sure, sometimes, the stubborn character or the independence of a cat can be interpreted as the animal being selfish or even evil, but we all know that deep down, they are cuddly and purring sources of joy.
In fact, we love cats so much, we dedicated them an own category!
Not only are they pretty and fun to be around, but cats are actually good for you!
Tune in some relaxing cat purring and check out these facts about how cats are actually good for your health!
The Healing Power Of The Purr
Believe it or not, but cat purring has healing powers. The purring is created using vibrations of a range between 20 and 140 Hz, a frequency that is known to be therapeutic for illnesses. Thus, merely listening to the sounds of a cat purring can positively impact you.
Read more about sounds that heal.
Let us see in which ways purring can improve your health:
- It reduces stress
- It decreases the symptoms of dysponea, a breathing impairment
- It lowers the blood pressure
- Its frequency supports bone strength
- It’s vibrations help to heal swellings and infections
- It’s vibrations also help the healing of muscles and other soft tissue
What are you waiting for? Get your daily dose of cat purring here and read on!
Cats Help You To De-Stress
A study conducted at the University of Minnesota shows that owning a cat actually reduce the risk of having a heart attack. Participants of the study that did not own a cat were 40% more likely to get a heart attack. The risk of death due to other cardiovascular diseases was 30% higher than for cat owners as well.
As mentioned above, the purring of a cat has the ability to lower stress and blood pressure. Next to lowering the heart attack risk, this leads to other kinds of health benefits as well.
Thus, the next time you feel stressed, just grab your kitty and cuddle the stress away!
Did you know that Maine Coons make great therapy cats?
Coping With Emotional Trauma, Depression Or Autism
Cats make great companions, especially if you (temporarily) live alone. They keep you company and fill an empty room not only with their purring and majestic presence but also with their healing powers.
Animals play a big role in different kinds of therapy, for example for the treatment of autism. Much like horses, they convey a calm and content feeling. They are usually calmer and less energetic than dogs, and by far cheaper than a horse. Thus, having a cat as a pet is a welcomed at-home treatment and therapy especially for children with autism.
Read more about how having a cat benefits a child with autism.
Their calm and friendliness also help cat owners to ease emotional trauma and depressions. Even though cats are often painted as selfish and solitary animals, they create a strong and almost child-like bond with their owners. Keeping them company or giving them a reason to get up for someone in the morning helps many patients struggling with depressions or even dementia.
Cats Can Predict Seizures
Animals are very sensitive towards changes in environments. Dogs, birds, rats and also cats are able to predict weather changes and often seek shelter before a storm or catastrophe. Likewise, some animals are also known to detect or rather predict seizures or epileptic fits. Since cats tend to form a very strong bond with their owners, just like dogs, there are many records that state that they can function as “service cats” for owners that are in danger of having seizures or shocks.
However, not every feline companion will alert you or another person in case of a seizure, even if they were able to predict it. Training conducted by a professional, however, can turn a loving cat into a reliable service animal. It will take other means and most probably more time to train a cat though since they are not as responsive towards training as dogs are.
Cats Are Great with Kids
Studies have shown that children that grow up having pets have a significantly stronger immune system than children that were raised without a cat or dog. Kids growing up in a pet-environment are less likely to be affected by illnesses like asthma or allergies.
The reason of this is thought to come from the baby or child being constantly exposed to not only the animal’s dander, but also to all sorts of microbes they carry into the house. This exposure helps the child’s immune system train and strengthen against certain bugs and allergens.
Furthermore, there are quite some cat breeds that are known to be very kid-friendly, especially for children that do not need an active playmate as dogs usually are. Of course, some breeds are more suited to be around kids than others, but comparing the numbers, there are far more kid-friendly cat breeds than those that do not do too well with kids.
Check out CatTime.com’s list of kid friendly and least kid friendly breeds.
Cats Make You Happy
Of course they do! With a cat around, you feel less alone. They provide funny situations for you to witness and watch, and give you a task to dedicate your time and effort to: caring for them. But did you know that there is a scientific explanation of why cats make us happy?
Cats can release a hormone called Oxytocin which is related to loving and intimate relationships between humans. You could very well refer to it as the “hormone of love”. A study conducted over a short period of time showed that animals are able of releasing this hormone as well; either interacting with each other or with humans.
Thus, it’s very likely to assume that, when you live with a cat and establish a close bond to it, there is an exchange of this love hormone between you. And this, ultimately, makes you happy. Everyone enjoys feeling loved!
Further Reading & Sources
