WELLNESS AUTHOR
Kara Reynolds
THE PURR-FECT PAL n Thinking of welcoming in a new furry friend? Here are some mental health benefits of owning a cat.
C
ats can get a bad rap from people who are not familiar with them, but cat owners realize just how special they are. Our feline friends are fun to have around and make excellent companions. You may not even realize that cats benefit their owners’ mental health, just as much as dogs do. Science has found many links to having a feline companion and enjoying better mental health outcomes. Without further ado, here are some of the top ways cats help with our mental health.
Reducing Stress
Cats may have quirky personalities that entertain us, but science has shown that cats are also great at relieving stress. A study on married couples found that cat owners fared much better in stressful situations than non-pet owners. The participants faced various challenges, some with and some without their partners. The cat owners had a lower resting heart rate at the start of the study and better
SEPTEMBER 2022
54