Cat ladies unite! Research shows that owning a cat is good for our health. For years ladies who love cats have been haunted by the ghost of the “crazy cat lady syndrome.” As cat lovers, we know the joy of cats. Felines brighten the lives of those who love them, or maybe it’s the whiskers, or even the little jellybean toes, or the purrs, that capture our hearts.
According to Psychological Medicine, there’s no link to owning cats and being psychotic, but the research is proving that cats are beneficial to our health. A study posted in the Journal of Vascular and Interventional Neurology states that a decreased risk for death due to heart attack and all cardiovascular diseases (including stroke) was observed among people with cats. The study found that the presence of pets has been associated with reduction of stress and blood pressure, and may reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
Adopting a kitten or cat may label someone as the “Crazy Cat Person”, but according to research, a cat could be a helping factor in better heart health.
Source:
Qureshi AI, Memon MZ, Vazquez G, Suri MF. 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. Jan;2(1):132.
Solmi F, Hayes JF, Lewis G, Kirkbride JB. Curiosity killed the cat: no evidence of an association between cat ownership and psychotic symptoms at ages 13 and 18 years in a UK general population cohort. Psychological medicine. 2017 Jul;47(9):1659-67.
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