Health Benefits of Cat Ownership
How would you like to live with one of the world’s most sympathetic listeners? Maybe you want someone who will put on a few special floor shows during the average day? Perhaps you are looking for a housemate who will help to lower your blood pressure and even serve as a masseuse from time to time? Well, if you said yes to any of the statements above then you must be considering owning a cat.
There are a staggering number of benefits where cat ownership is concerned, and chief among them are the health benefits that come from sharing the home with a cat. Dozens of scientific and medical studies have been done on the effects of a visit with a dog or cat, and this is the reason that so many nursing and rehabilitation facilities will have a “resident” cat that makes its rounds throughout each day. Such a cat is going to calm and soothe each person it visits, and can even have some surprisingly good effects on their vital signs too. For instance, many studies have shown a beneficial change in the pulse, breathing, and blood pressure of someone stroking a cat or simply speaking with a cat in their room.
Of course the health benefits of cat ownership are not only for those in the later years of life or those in a nursing facility, and there are some profound mental health benefits for children who are reared in an environment containing cats too. The benefits come from the shared responsibilities involved with the day to day care of the housecat, and children who have played an active role in tending to their cats demonstrate a great deal of responsibility, compassion, social skills, and even higher levels of self-esteem.
Additionally, many adults who live alone will enjoy a greater sense of calm and a resistance to depression through ownership of a cat as well. The cat is not simply a responsibility, but a housemate who provides social interaction throughout the day or evenings when the individual is home and aware of their single status.
Finally, one of the primary health benefits of cat ownership is the ability of a cat to help children and young adults avoid the development of pet allergies. When young children are exposed to cats, it is less likely that they will suffer from problems with respiratory issues often associated with allergies of all kinds, but particularly those tied to animal dander.
