Numerous University studies comparing pet owners with non-pet owners have concluded that people who owned cats had significantly fewer stress symptoms. Dog owners were second in the low stress group. People without any pets exhibited the highest levels of stress.
Amazing…owning a pet (cats and dogs) in general reduced stress-related blood pressure more than medication designed specifically to do that.
Judy and I were cat owners as children and then had a break during our college years and our years on the road travelling.
Since 1973 we have continually owned two or more cats at any one time, or more correctly should I say, we have been the servants of many cats over the years.
According to research by The Society of Companion Animal Studies (SCAS) in the UK, the therapeutic effects of being with a cat can mean the owners need fewer visits to their doctor each year and they have…
• Fewer sleeping difficulties.
• Are less likely to need heart condition medicine.
A study at the University of Minnesota found that both cats and dogs reduced stress-related blood pressure more than inhibitor medication, and that cats in particular may reduce your chances of a heart attack by 40%.
The researchers at the University of Minnesota concluded that:
“If we assume that cat ownership is directly responsible for the benefits, then the most logical explanation may be that cat ownership may relieve stress and anxiety and subsequently reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases.”
The Fauna Communications Research Institute in North Carolina found that every cat in their study created purr vibrations within the range that is medically therapeutic (20-140 Hz) for:
• Bone growth and healing.
• Pain relief.
• Swelling reduction.
• Wound healing.
• Muscle growth and repair.
• Tendon repair.
• Joint mobility.
• Dyspnea (shortness of breath) relief.
Other research has found that people with pets live longer, are less likely to develop lymphoma, and research by Dr June McNicholas at the University of Warwick showed that seniors had less depression and psychological distress if they had a pet.
The overall conclusions from many studies has found that cats can reduce stress, the likelihood of cardiovascular disease and heart attacks. The purr therapy they deliver is supportive of their own health and the health of their owners.
See more at: http://www.stresstostrength.com
