5 Surprising Benefits of Cat Ownership

As you may have read last week there are some unique health benefits that our aquatic friends can help us with.  This week we would like to look at the upsides of getting friendly with our new feline contenders.

Here are 5 surprising health benefits of bringing a kitten or cat into your life…

1. Sorry dog people (don’t worry, you get your own benefits too), but people with a kitty proclivity tend to score higher on IQ tests and typically have a higher education, according to two 2014 studies. This cannot be credited strictly to the cat itself, however, rather the propensity for intelligent people to have busy careers or high levels of creativity which keep them occupied with hobbies. This doesn’t allow much time for a high maintenance pet.  The preference towards cats is also associated with the tendency of intellectuals to be more introverted. Most cat people prefer to sit still and read rather than go out and tackle the world like their dog-loving counterparts.

2. If you’re a straight guy, owning a cat could make you more likely to get a date, which is good for physical and mental health. Studies have shown women are more attracted to men who own cats. The knowledge of a guy having a soft spot for fur-balls usually ups his game in the dating department, as nearly 82% of women agree being a cat-lover makes men more attractive. How does this help your health, you may be wondering? An active love life contributes to better self-esteem and more positive “self-talk” as well as better eating habits.  Whether this is due to a lack of depressed eating or the desire to impress a potential partner the effect is clear; people are happier when they have someone to share their lives with and usually try harder to keep themselves healthy.  So, a cat might just be the fuzzy ticket in helping you find that special someone.  Ladies should know that owning a dog has a similar effect on men.

3. Owning a cat diminishes risk of developing allergies and asthma. Many studies have been conducted on the effect of having pets in childhood and its connection to a decrease in allergies and asthma later in life.  Over the years these studies have shown that there is a correlation between pet ownership and the development of allergies, though the studies are still inconclusive and scientists are still unsure as to why this phenomenon occurs.  One theory is that early exposure to potential cat allergens stimulates an immune system response in the patient and the body compensates and adapts.  Though the same theory could not be attributed to asthma.

4. Having a cat has been proven more effective on lowering triglycerides and cholesterol than some medications!  A study conducted in 2006 and spanning the course of six years showed that patients without cats actually ran a 40% higher risk of suffering a heart attack, and a 30% higher risk of developing another heart disease.  This same study stated that owning a cat was more effective than some prescribed medication which only reduced risk by 2%, a great relief to those who have difficulty paying for expensive medications.  The same study also looked at the effect of owning a dog, unfortunately it did nor yield the same results.

5. Cat owners end up needing fewer doctor’s visits because of the power of purrs and the holistic healing properties found in their vibrations. Cats purr with a vibration between 20-140 Hz which is known to cure some illnesses, heal infection and swelling, and, most interestingly, accelerate the healing of broken bones. As some people may not know cats don’t only purr when they are happy, but also purr when they are distressed.  It is theorized this is because of the frequency of the vibrations in their purrs (bones and tendons heal with great density between 50-120 Hz).  This contributes to the notion of cats having nine lives because they are able to self-heal serious bone injuries.  As a cat compatriot, people also benefit from these special vibrations. Simply by having a cat lay on a patient’s chest and purr has been known to diminish the pain patients were feeling.  For a long time it was attributed to the calming effect animals have on people and did nothing more than distract them from their discomfort.  However, additional studies have shown that there is actually a physiological improvement in the patients who had a purring kitty in their beds as opposed to other animals and the practice of using cats for healing purposes may date back as far as ancient Egypt.

Are you a cat owner? What benefits have you found your kitty brings you? Leave a comment and let us know!