Owning a cat can be very rewarding. In fact, according to studies, watching cat videos is enough to boost your energy. They can be affectionate, and a simple purring or curling next to you can create positive emotions and calming effects. There certainly are psychological benefits of owning a cat.
Cats are beneficial to physical and mental health and can also be a source of emotional support for their owners.
While your feline friends may not be nice to your furniture, they can be a great companion and make lives happier and healthier.
Here is Catonsville Cat Clinic‘s list of top psychological benefits of owning a cat
According to a study, cat owners are likely to have better psychological health than people who don’t own pets. Also, caring and playing with your cat can give you a sense of fulfilment and satisfaction.
Petting or playing with your cat can release all the right chemicals in the brain. There is also evidence that a cat’s purr can help lower blood pressure and relax the nervous system.
They also help relieve stress and provide anti-anxiety benefits for their owners. Cats are generally low maintenance pets, which mean less stress for their owners, making them ideal pets for those who can’t deal with a pet’s rigorous care.
Cats can lower stress levels, reducing your risk of having cardiovascular diseases, including heart disease and stroke. One study showed that people who owned cats were less likely to die from a heart attack than those without one.
Cats can be very affectionate pets, and they can reduce the feelings of loneliness by fulfilling your need for companionship. According to an Austrian study, having a cat is almost equivalent to having a romantic partner.
They initiate contact and engage in eye contact with their owners; this creates a kind of connection similar to human interactions. Having a pet that makes contact, relies on you can help people with feelings of loneliness feel better and provide a purpose.
Sleeping with a cat can improve sleep quality. Some studies found that some cat owners preferred to sleep with their cats than partners because they slept better. Therefore, having a cat that sleeps on the bed with you can provide a sense of comfort, which improves sleeping quality.
There are several pieces of evidence that show that pets are helpful to people with mental health conditions, including PTSD and depression. Pets, including cats, help their owners manage their emotions and distract them from mental illness symptoms.
In addition to this, cats make their owners feel needed. Having someone to care for gives pet owners a sense of purpose, and this can help relieve mild depression symptoms. The acts of caretaking can positively affect mental health.
A cat’s purr is therapeutic for humans. It is a very comforting sound that lowers stress and has a healing ability on human infections, bones, and muscles. Cats purr within a range of 20-110 Hz, which has a positive effect on health.
Due to their ability to produce caking effects, cars make great therapy animals that can help people cope better with mental illness and loss. Cats can help people in mourning get over their loss easier. They provide mild therapy effects and serve as generous emotional support in difficult times.
Cats can help kids overcome their allergies. Cat hair is considered a common allergy; meanwhile, early cat exposure for kids will help them develop a strong immune system not only against cat allergies but other types of allergies. According to a 2002 study, kids under a year old are less likely to develop allergies after being exposed to a cat.
Cats owners tend to have higher self-esteem than those without, studies confirm. It may be because they serve as social support that helps people deal with their struggles better, boosting self-esteem. A study conducted with 97 undergraduates show that pets can make people feel better after experiencing rejection.
The act of caregiving helps us build healthy habits. Cats need to be fed and taken care of on a regular schedule. Thus, help cat owners create a routine to take care of them no matter their mood. They give people a reason to get up and take care of them and, in extension, take care of themselves. Caring for your pets can serve as a reminder to care for yourself too.
Your pet choice can tell people more about you. Cats owners are often seen as smart and intelligent people, and this isn’t inaccurate. According to a study, cats’ owners are more intelligent.
Also, cat owners tend to be introverted, trustworthy, and modest. If you tell people you’re a cat owner, they will think positively about your personality. A British poll even showed that women are more attracted to men with pets because they perceive them as more friendly and caring.
Owning a cat can help people with their human to human relationships. People with pets find it less stressful to socialize with others. Pets also support social connections. For example, pet owners often bond fast because they have a common topic to discuss.
Cats are alert, thus can sense dangers and warn their owners. A cat woke up his owners when a gas pipe started leaking; another warned his owner when he was about to have epileptic seizures.
Although cats are different, they are generally amazing creatures with a lot to offer. There are huge psychological benefits of owning a cat. Whether you know it or not, your cat might be helping you a lot to help you stay happy, relieve stress, and improve your mental health.
Those of us who own and love cats don’t need researchers to affirm the value of our cherished pets in our lives. Still, it’s gratifying to find so many science-backed videos and articles to confirm what we already know about the many benefits of cat ownership.
Among the most amusing research-based videos is “Prescription Cat” from the Human Animal Bond Research Institute’s Pet Effect campaign.
According to HABRI, “Scientific research demonstrates that cat ownership can confer benefits to both mental and physical health in their owners. Specifically, cat ownership can reduce risk of cardiovascular disease and improve heart health, alleviate social isolation and loneliness, and reduce stress. In children, living with cats can strengthen immunity in the first year of life, and a pet cat can help those with autism and their families.”
“The Scientific Benefits of Owning a Cat: 5 Reasons to Welcome a Feline Friend” from the Pet in the Net YouTube channel includes links to research studies supporting each of the benefits.
From the YouTube channel AnimalWised, “5 Benefits of Having a Cat for Health and Happiness” also cites research to back each of the benefits discussed.
In “10 Scientific Benefits of Being a Cat Owner,” published by Mental Floss, those benefits include:
The All Cats YouTube channel has compiled this same information in a video, “10 Scientific Benefits Of Being A Cat Owner,” covering all 10 benefits in less than 9 minutes.
“The Psychological Benefits Of Owning A Cat” on the Animal Discovery YouTube channel focuses on mental health benefits of cat ownership.
In “Americans Note Overwhelming Positive Mental Health Impact of Their Pets in New Poll; Dogs and Cats Equally Beneficial,” the American Psychiatric Association reported owners of both dogs and cats said their pets offer many mental health benefits.
In response to the APA’s March 2023 Healthy Minds Monthly Poll of 2,200 adults, 86% of pet owners said “their pets have a mostly positive impact on their mental health.” Among the benefits those pet owners cited:
According to the APA, “Cat owners were more likely than dog owners to say their pets offer companionship, provide a calming presence and help reduce stress and anxiety. Dog owners were twice as likely as cat owners to say their pet encourages them to be physically active.”
For more details of the March 2023 Healthy Minds Monthly Poll, see the survey report on the American Psychiatric Association website.
For a more personalized testimonial to the demonstrated benefits of cat ownership, see Kira M. Newman’s article, “The Science-Backed Benefits of Being a Cat Lover,” published by The Greater Good Science Center at the University of California, Berkeley. Newman covers cats’ contributions to general well-being, stress reduction, relationship skills and physical health in some detail.
At Brownsburg Animal Clinic, we support the bond between you and your cat by providing the veterinary care needed to maintain your cat’s longest, healthiest life. Through regular check-ups, recommended vaccines and prompt attention to symptoms of ill health, our goal is to help you enjoy the many benefits of cat ownership for as long as possible.
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