Healthy Cats for a Healthy You!

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Healthy Cats for a Healthy You!

You do a lot to help maintain your cat’s optimal health. It’s important to realize that, in turn, your cat offers several health benefits to YOU. From cheering you up on a bad day to possibly saving your life, rest assured your cat has got your back!

Cats Help Reduce Blood Pressure

Want to do something healthy for yourself? Spend five minutes petting your cat and stroking her coat. This simple activity can reduce your blood pressure and lower your risk of cardiovascular disease.

Cats Help Improve Mental Health

Your heart isn’t the only organ that feels good when spending time with your favorite furry friend. Playing with your cat is a great way to reduce feelings of loneliness. Maybe it’s how adorable your cat looks when she’s batting a ball on a string, or maybe it’s how she listens without interrupting. Whatever it is about a cat’s company, it does wonders for a person’s mental state. Medically speaking, playing with your cat can increase a hormone known as dopamine, which washes away feelings of anxiety and depression.

Cats Help Reduce the Risk of Allergies in Children

It’s been proven that babies who were raised with a cat in the household tend to have a lower risk of developing animal allergies and asthma. They also have an improved immune system when compared to children who did not grow up with a cat. It makes sense when you think about it. The child’s body doesn’t react negatively to pet dander and other allergies because they’ve always been a part of their environment.

Cats Help the Elderly

Studies have shown that elderly people are likely to benefit from the company of a friendly cat. And the reasons for this have a lot to do with the benefits we’ve already mentioned. With less stress and lower blood pressure, elderly people with cats have a lower risk for suffering heart attacks. Plus, they tend to live longer than people who have never owned a cat.

Obviously, many other factors come into play when determining what makes a person healthy, but there is no denying the healing power cats possess. It’s why so many cats are used as therapy pets in hospitals around the world. So the next time you go out of your way to be a great owner to your cat, just remember, she’s there for you too.