"The smallest feline is a masterpiece."
~ Leonardo da Vinci
There
are so many good reasons to share your home with a cat.
Cats
can help to lower your stress. Playing
with a cat can elevate levels of serotonin and dopamine, which calm and
relax. It only takes 15 to 30
minutes with a cat to feel less anxious and less stressed.
Cats
can help you heal faster. People with cat companions tend to be healthier, and
go to the doctor less often than non-cat people. Some rehab facilities and
hospitals employ "therapy cats", to assist sick people feel more
connected and even heal faster.
Cats
are good for the heart. Having a cat
companion can reduce your risk of heart attack by thirty percent. A recent
study by researchers at the University of Minnesota1 found that
feline-less people were at higher risk for cardiovascular disease than those
with cat companions.
Over the twenty years of one study, people who never shared their home
with a cat were 40% more likely to die of a heart attack than those who had.
Cats
are good to ward off strokes. People who live with cats have fewer strokes than
people who don't. Researchers speculate that cats may have a more calming
effect on their people than other animals do. Sitting and stroking a cat then
becomes the focus of the person's interest. We can only hold one thought at time in our
mind, so instead of worrying about something stressful - think how soft the
cat’s fur is, the soothing sound of their purr and the warmth they offer in
your lap.
Cats
are good for stretching. An article in
Arthritis Today2 advises people to
take a cue from their cat companion. Watch how many times she stretches every
day. Each time your cat stretches, attempt to mimic the same long body
stretches. Stretch from side to side and stretch each limb. Although some cat positions may be difficult
for a person to duplicate, it can be beneficial to follow the basic ones. Breathe
deeply when stretching to also relax your mind and reduce the stress on your
body.
Cats are good
company. A UK study3 revealed
that cats helped their persons overcome
feelings of loneliness. A majority sometimes preferred to share their feelings
with their cat rather than a partner or friend. Cats can keep a secret. They don’t judge us;
they just love us. When I went through several rough bumps in my
life, Lancelot heard it all and he kept my secrets. This study also showed that
children regarded their cat as a close friend.
Cats are good
for a good night’s sleep. Cats are excellent snugglers. In this same UK study more than half of the participants revealed
that they enjoyed a better night's sleep with
their cat on the bed than they did with their partner in the bed. These
same people also admitted that they would
tolerate their cat taking most of the bed covers at night but not their partner
doing that. Many people who share their beds with a cat will admit to the
contortions they take to get out of bed without disturbing the cat. Only to
find that once they are out of bed, their adorable friend is out of bed as well
and usually right at their feet.
While we may ponder the many good reasons for cats they may be thinking,
“Meow.
What good are these humans? They
are so distracted all the time; they miss the beauty in the wee things floating
all around them. They forget that their music comes from within. They overlook so many opportunities to see
things from various perspectives. They
miss the warmth of a sunbeam streaming through a window, and the chirping of
fascinating activity all around them. They can be so frustrating, so self-involved.......
wait, do I hear a can opener?”
"Ever
consider what they must think of us?
I mean, here we come back from a grocery store with the most amazing haul of chicken, pork, half a cow.
I mean, here we come back from a grocery store with the most amazing haul of chicken, pork, half a cow.
They
must think we're the greatest hunters on earth!"
~ Anne Tyler
~ Anne Tyler
ISBN: 978-0981523897
Published by Self
Investment Publishing ©2012
All
rights reserved including right of reproduction in whole or in part in any
form.
$5 from every book donated to the charity of your choice.
$5 from every book donated to the charity of your choice.
