Feline Friends Can Benefit Your Mental Wellbeing, Says Science

All you cat lovers out there are in for a treat! We know why cats are so darn lovable – it’s their fuzzy cuteness, the purrs and meows, their long whiskers, and their cuddly bodies. The good news is that it has been found that cats can significantly improve mental health as well. As if they needn’t more reasons for us to love them, right! Well, here is the reality behind your cat and your mental health!

They Are Living, Breathing, Furry Stress-Relievers

Stress relief comes in many forms, shapes, sizes, and breeds, apparently. It has been shown that cats have the ability to relieve stress and that they do so in a number of ways, simply by being the way they are. After a long, difficult day, snuggling with your pet cat actually feels good because of more than you just loving your feline friend! Your body actually produces stress-reducing hormones when you snuggle up with your cat, decreasing your blood pressure and heart rate and normalizing your anxiety levels. Neat!

They Are Great Companions

All of us cat owners know the feeling of companionship that comes with having a pet cat in spite of their notorious nonchalance. The companionship has a positive effect on mental health. Having a cat helps you by reducing feelings of loneliness and by even providing purpose. Having a pet rely on you and react to you, and love you can be a pure and basic way of elevating mental wellness. A relationship with an established pet fosters predictability, positivity, and encouragement which is good for those who struggle with human relationships.

They Have the Power of the Purr

It has been scientifically discovered that a cat’s purr is in the range of 20-140Hz frequency, a frequency range that is recognized for being medically therapeutic for human illnesses. It is thus supported by science that a cat’s purr can lower stress and assist with labored breathing, drop high blood pressure, assist with the healing of infections, and actually even assist in bone healing. Science has proven these effects are real! Ask any cat owner how relaxing it is to sleep next to a purring cat and it will convince you of the stress-minimizing qualities of a purr.

They Make For Fabulous Therapy Animals

Therapy animals are used in hospitals, schools, rehabilitation centers, and routinely in therapy. While other animals like horses and dogs are also used in therapy, cats are beneficial mentally as well as physically because of their ability to calm and to reduce stress hormones through their lovingness and affectionate behavior. They have been very effective for patients and have brought about plenty of healing in their unique ways. Cats have been used to heal seizure patients, victims of abuse, and those suffering from all kinds of mental disorders and illnesses.

They Help You Cope

Life comes with some rather unexpected blows, painful events, saddening losses, and a range of things that may happen that we may need to get over. It has been found that people who own cats tend to get over losses and painful events more quickly than those who don’t own a cat and show fewer symptoms of hurt like crying. This tells us that cats serve as a sort of social support in tough times. It does make sense, too, that talking to a living thing that can’t respond with any judgment can be highly beneficial for mental health and far more supportive than a human being in this case!

Cats are very affectionate and almost magical creatures, in spite of their almost aloof nature and their headstrong ways. Each and every feline is unique in their mannerisms and their personalities, and just by being themselves they can do so much for human mental wellbeing. Also, an additional reason to have a cat for you men out there – a poll discovered that 82% of women were in consensus that they are more attracted to men with pets! So list your feline friend on your dating profile to score some extra points, why don’t you!

So, the next time you have your cat brush up against your legs, reach down and offer a stroke of gratitude for his or her role in maintaining your mental wellbeing!