If you’re a cat lover like I am, your overwhelming desire to have a pet cat will overtake you at some point and all of a sudden you are cat parent! The sheer joy you feel is totally worth the responsibility. You love them like your own children although they do nothing but cuddle and play and of course poop! Cat evolution has you covered where that is concerned but let me tell you that they do a lot more! Your pet is highly beneficial for your health, here’s how:
1. IMPROVED HEART HEALTH
Owning a cat improves your heart health and reduces the risk of a heart attack; this is a line you will have heard by now if you are a pet owner or even a simple cat enthusiast. However, does this have any scientific support or is this a statement made up by a die-hard cat lover? You can let the doubt go because a study conducted by researchers at University of Minnesota’s Stroke Institute found that “over a 10-year period, cat owners were 30 percent less likely to die of a heart attack or stroke than non-cat owners." You can believe in the authenticity of this fact because cats alleviate the factors that cause a heart attack e.g. stress, blood pressure etc.
2. EMOTIONAL SUPPORT
An article from the Mental Health Foundation cites its collaborative study with Cats Protection and found that 76 percent of the 600 people surveyed believed that pet ownership made coping with life easier. This is pretty understandable since support animals are a very popular coping mechanism for people with PTSD or other disorders. Having a furry creature that supports you unconditionally would make anyone feel better. So, snuggle up to your furry friend and let the stresses be washed away by their cuteness.
3. LOWERS YOUR BLOOD PRESSURE
This fact may be directly related to the decreased stress factor and the release of dopamine when we see their squiggly little faces. Nonetheless, there is still scientific evidence because according to a State University of New York study, “pet owners are more likely to have a lower blood pressure than those who do not have pets." So, if you’re about to pop blood pressure medication, reconsider for a moment and get a cat!
4. PURRING IS MEDICALLY THERAPEUTIC
Alternative medicine has gained popularity recently as people look for alternatives to the harsh side effects of allopathic medication. One of the methods used to heal sore or broken bones, tendons and muscles is a vibrational therapy that produces slow results but has positive effects nonetheless. With a cat, you have your personalized therapist as a cat’s purring creates vibrations around 20-140 Hz, which is the ideal range for strengthening bones and muscles. It might be time to awkwardly position your fur baby over that knee that never stops bothering you.
5. KEEPS YOU ACTIVE
If you’re someone that works from home or have a desk job that doesn’t allow you to get off your feet, your cat is the perfect excuse to sneak in some exercise along with playtime. Your pet is the pestering trainer you need to be a little more healthy because I’m sure they will meow and howl unless you spend at least 15 mins a day playing with them.
6. HELP CHILDREN WITH AUTISM
Researchers from the University of Missouri found that the social interaction of children with autism dramatically improved when around pets. In the study, half the families that participated had cats, with parents reporting strong attachments forming between them and their kids. It is especially hard for children with autism to carry out social interactions but children that had interaction with pets from the get-go are found to be more assertive and sure while carrying out social interactions. At this point, it seems like a cat is a solution to all your problems.
7. LOWER RISK OF ALLERGY
We have this urge to protect our children from all things harmful out there. If it were up to us we would keep them in a sterilized plastic bubble and still wrap them in bubble wrap. However, this is not the best thing for their health and sanity too. Squeaky clean doesn’t mean that you or you’re children are going to be healthier. In 2002, the National Institutes of Health released a study that found children under a year old who were exposed to a cat were less likely to develop allergies—and not just pet allergies. According to Marshall Plaut, M.D., chief of the allergic mechanisms section at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, "high pet exposure early in life appears to protect against not only pet allergy but also other types of common allergies, such as an allergy to dust mites, ragweed, and grass." This might be enough to let you cut that umbilical cord with your child when it comes to protecting them from your fur babies.
8. FULFILS YOUR NEED FOR AFFECTION
All human beings share this extreme fear of being lonely or dying alone. This is one thing that is said to be the leading cause of stress and depression especially among this digital age where physical contact and in-person affection is a luxury. Having a pet in your life fulfils this gap and your inherent need for affection. You have a very dependant fluff ball waiting for you at home; waiting to jump at you with joy as soon as you enter your home. This wonderful feeling of shared affection is enough to lift your mood tenfold!
9. LONGER LIFE SPAN
Let's take a look at all the benefits that your cats have on your health from reduced stress and blood pressure to improved mood and immune system. When you sum them all up it is a given that you are bound to lead a happier, healthier life. Perhaps its time to improve your health by getting a wonderful furry friend! And if the only thing putting you off is taking care of your cat, then Cat Evolution can provide some easy-care options, to make having a cat possible at any age.
10. EVEN CAT VIDEOS BOOST YOUR MOOD
In the end, if for some reason you’re unable to have a pet in your life, you can have some of these benefits from simply watching cat videos. There is an endless supply out there which doesn't beat the physical cuddles of a furry friend but you can make do until you are able to have the joy of a pet.