The Health Benefits of Owning a Cat

  Posted on September 27, 2010  by Joy of Living  No comments

Bo, the most wonderful cat in the world (or so he thinks!): What you are about to read is something I instinctively already knew.  There are a host of products and services out there designed to improve one’s health, but did you know that owning a cat has a plethora of health benefits,too?  Go grab your best furry friend and read on!  This stuff is great!

1.) Cat owners have a lower risk of cardiovascular disease.  Interestingly enough, according to the study from the University of Minnesota, this does not apply to the same degree for dog owners.

2.) Owning a cat reduces the chance that you will sustain a heart attack.  You can actually reduce the chance that you will suddenly die of a heart attack.  How cool is that?

3.) Your immune functions improve when you own a cat!  Cats seem to sense when you are not feeling well and can provide you with comfort, helping you to improve while giving your immune system a boost, too.

4.) If you have a cat, it can decrease your chance of developing allergies.  Having a cat can actually prevent allergies in your children.  If children are exposed to pets at an early age, they are less prone to developing allergies than their pet-less counterparts.

5.) In addition to preventing allergies in kids, there is some evidence that suggests owning a cat can help to prevent asthma in children.

6.)  Want to reduce your blood pressure?  Get a cat!  Just stroking a cat is calming and automatically will lower your blood pressure.

7.)  Suffer from anxiety? Your feline friend can reduce those feelings of stress.  There is nothing like the calm, unconditional love and presence of a cat.

Those who own cats typically have fewer visits to the doctor.  Studies have also shown that nursing homes that use cats as part of the therapy for patients realize lower medication costs among the patients than those nursing homes who do not bring cats into the facility.

There are many, many more health benefits to owning a cat, including a reduction in loneliness, lower cholesterol levels, improving your mood, and adding years to your life  I suppose if cats really do have nine lives, they can afford to share one or two of them with you!

Happy Cat Ownership!  (With Jessie still asleep, I can say all of this stuff without interruption.  Once she gets wind of this information, I am sure she will come up with a list of all of the health benefits of owning a dog.  All I know is that I always feel better when I can play practical jokes on her.  I cannot stop from laughing when I see the look on her face as she pounds on the front door, after I have locked her out!  Classic!)

(Thanks to mritechnicianschools.net for this awesome information!)