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As you may have noticed, these are rather trying times. Personally, I’m rather stressed. I have also lost all sense of time and have no idea what day I’m even posting this on. I am very much the type of person to stay in more than I go out, but quarantine measures have their effect on even the most introverted among us. Not to mention the anxiety of, well, everything, really. There’s a lot to worry about these days. However, if you have a cat–or several–there is good news! Scientists have demonstrated that cat ownership is beneficial to both mental and physical health. I could have told them that, and I bet you could have, too, but let’s go over the evidence just to make ourselves feel better, why don’t we?
The first thing I do every morning is spend a few minutes, sometimes longer, petting my cat in whatever fashion she demands. She certainly enjoys it, attention hog that she is, but it also helps me start my day feeling happy and relaxed. For me, merely watching a cat sleep can melt my stress away. It isn’t just me, as studies have found biological markers affected by contact with cats. A study with college students at the University of Northern Iowa determined that the students experienced a “small but significant decrease” in blood pressure immediately after being allowed to hold a cat or dog (1).
A study at Washington State University measured the levels of the stress hormone cortisol in the saliva of students before and after they a) interacted with provided cats or dogs, b) watched other people interact with the animals while standing in line and waiting, c) watched a slideshow with pictures of the pets the lucky experimental group interacted with, or d) sat in a waiting room for 10 minutes (2). The group that was actually able to pet and play with furry friends had significantly lower cortisol levels afterwards, an indicator of lower overall stress (2). Not everyone is a college student, of course, but it goes to show that the presence of a pet, even an unknown one, can demonstrably relieve stress. The next time someone calls you a crazy cat lady (or gent or neither or both), tell them the cats make you less crazy.
A purring kitty sitting in your lap may be the pinnacle of relaxation, but did you know it may promote physical healing? Purring is one of the great mysteries of the feline family. Cats purr when they are content, but they are also known to purr when ill or injured. A study that aimed to uncover why recorded the purrs of forty-four felids from several species, including the domestic cat, and analyzed the frequencies of the sounds (3). All of the felids purred with strong frequencies in the 25-150 Hertz range (3).
In particular, the researchers noted that the pumas, ocelots, servals, and domestic cats produced “fundamental, dominant, or strong frequencies” at 25 and 50 Hz (3). Studies have found that frequencies between 20 and 50 Hz aid in the growth, healing, and strengthening of human bones (4). The same four species displayed a strong harmonic at 100 Hz, a frequency associated with treating pain, swelling, wounds, and labored breathing (3). Felines may have evolved purring, at least in part, as a mechanism for self-healing, but it now allows our house panthers to heal us as well.
Any cat lover would say that forging a bond with a cat can be healing, and they would probably say that loving a cat is good for the heart. The data would also say that it literally is. Having a cat has been associated with a decreased risk of dying from cardiovascular disease, including heart attack and stroke (5, 6). Even having simply owned a cat in the past conferred these benefits in one study (5). Ogechi et al only found this association with female cat owners. However, an Australian study demonstrated that all cat owners make fewer trips to the doctor and are less likely to be on medication for heart or sleeping problems than those without pets (7). Good news all around!
But wait, there’s more! I was surprised by this, but it makes a lot of sense given my own experience. I was born with a cat allergy, but after deciding I wanted a cat anyway at a very young age (about five), I gradually stopped being allergic to cats. They are now almost the only thing I am not allergic to.
Allergies are a mystifying phenomenon. Exposure to something sometimes causes or worsens allergies and sometimes makes them go away. I found two studies that may shed a little light on how cat allergies work, however. Both suggest that exposure to cats early in life can prevent allergies later (8, 9). Like me! One study recruited children when they were 8-10 years old and checked in with them again twenty years later (8). They divided the subjects into groups based on whether they had a cat as a child (less than 18 years old), as an adult (more than 18), or both. Having a cat before adulthood had a protective effect against asthma and outdoor allergies by the time of testing (8). The other study focused on pet allergies specifically and determined that children with exposure to an indoor cat or dog within the first year of life were less likely to become sensitized to that same animal by the age of eighteen (9). New and soon-to-be parents, take note!
Don’t actually take parenting advice from me. I know nothing about children. Just cats. And in that regard, I soundly advise you to snuggle up with the nearest cat, as long as they are willing. After all, it’s good for your health. Stay safe out there, y’all.
Works Cited
- Somervill, J.W., et al. (2008). Physiological responses by college students to a dog and a cat: Implications for pet therapy. North American Journal of Psychology, 10(3), 519-528. https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2008-18014-007
- Washington State University. (2019, July 15). Stress reduction benefits from petting dogs, cats. ScienceDaily. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/07/190715114302.htm
- von Muggenthaler, E. (2001). The felid purr: A healing mechanism? The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 110(5), 2666. DOI: 10.1121/1.4777098
- Klotter, J. (2002). Vibrational frequencies that heal. (Shorts). Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients, 226, 28. link here
- Qureshi, A.I., et al (2009). Cat ownership and the risk of fatal cardiovascular diseases. Results from the second national health and nutrition Examination study mortality follow-up study. Journal of Vascular and Interventional Neurology, 2(1), 132–135. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3317329/
- Ogechi, I. (2016). Pet ownership and the risk of dying from cardiovascular disease among adults without major chronic medical conditions. High Blood Pressure and Cardiovascular Prevention, 23(3), 245–253. DOI: 10.1007/s40292-016-0156-1
- Headey, B. (1999). Health benefits and health cost savings due to pets: Preliminary estimates from an Australian national survey. Social Indicators Research, 47, 233–243. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1006892908532
- de Meer, G., et al. (2004). Presence and timing of cat ownership by age 18 and the effect on atopy and asthma at age 28. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 113(3), 433-438. DOI: 10.1016/j.jaci.2003.10.008
- Wegienka, G., et al. (2011). Lifetime dog and cat exposure and dog‐ and cat‐specific sensitization at age 18 years. Clinical & Experimental Allergy, 41(7), 979–986. DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2222.2011.03747.x
Published March 28, 2020
Updated February 10, 2021
