Having Cats Makes You Healthier
Recent research from the University of Belfast reveals that people who own pets lead healthier and more stable lives. They get sick less and if they do, they recover quickly. If you have a cat, surely you do not need any scientific study to affirm that there is nothing better than hugging it, stroking it and playing with it for a while after a day of excessive work or in which you find yourself overwhelmed by circumstances. Your mood improves quickly and you feel refreshed and happy when you come into contact with your kitten.
Technically, that means that not only did your stress level drop, but so did your blood pressure and, in addition, your heart rate slowed down. Researchers from the University of Minnesota Cardiovascular Accident Institute concluded that people who share their life with a cat have a 30% lower risk of death from a heart attack and other diseases related to the circulatory system.
In addition, observing your pet when he decides to play with different objects and even with his tail, jump and run chasing who knows what – a leaf that flies with the wind, a shadow, an insect – or devise some action that is difficult to predict, no It will only make you have a good time of distraction from your daily worries, but it will also provoke your smile or, on many occasions, your laughter. And it is well known that laughter is healthy, and helps us maintain mental and physical well-being.
Why having cats makes you healthier
– Purring is a low-frequency sound vibration that triggers the production of serotonin in our body. The so-called “happiness hormone” is also related to sleep cycles, libido and good humor. The truth is that this lullaby that our cat offers us reassures us, relaxes us and makes us enjoy a good night’s sleep.
-A research directed by the pediatrician Eija Bergroth (Hospital of the University of Kuopio, Finland), indicates that contact with pets favors the maturation of the infantile immune system. Thus, children who live with cats and dogs during their first year may be less susceptible to respiratory infections.
-Feeling accompanied by a cat, petting it and caring for it is also a mood stimulant and a distraction for people suffering from depression and anxiety.
– Contact with these animals also helps people with autism. A study carried out in France with children suffering from this disorder, indicated that they were calmer and could socialize more easily. This change was related to increased production of the hormone oxytocin, which increases feelings of love and trust, and which can be increased by petting a cat.
-The elderly, who often live alone or are in nursing homes, find in the kittens –in addition to a pleasant company and distraction- a good way to stay active, having someone to take care of.
-Sick people find in cats the ideal allies to reduce their worries and lessen the discomfort caused by their ailments .
Something else about cats and health
We could also learn from them about the benefits of taking a good nap. Although the current pace of life allows it less and less, there are many studies that strongly recommend it, because it not only improves the general mood, but also the level of alertness, memory, creativity and productivity . For this reason, some companies set up rooms so that their employees can take this break and – others with business acumen – opened rooms for naps.
However, there are those who still frown upon these creatures. Their bad reputation dates back to ancient times, when they were associated with witches. And there are those who still believe that black cats bring bad luck.
The truth is that, as my mother says, only those who do not know them can speak ill of cats. Once we break down prejudices and decide to adopt one as a pet, we immediately realize how wonderful these beings are and how good it is to live with them in more ways than one.
