15 Benefits of Having A Cat

15 Benefits of Having A Cat

Cats are truly marvelous creatures. However, if you can look past the doctor appointments and stinky litter box odor, bringing a domestic cat into your home could be one of the most significant decisions you make as a family.

If you’re wondering what benefits cats give to humans, then you’re in luck! In this article, we’re listing 15 benefits of having a cat. You’ll be happy to see the health benefits of having a cat!

If you’re still thinking about whether or not to own a cat, here are 15 advantages of having a pet cat. Being a cat parent could be what you need right now!

1. Cats are Great Companions

You will enjoy having a particular friend in the house. A cat will help your overcome loneliness while providing feline entertainment. People mainly want a cat for companionship. Despite their reputation for being distant and independent, over 65% of pet cats are strongly bonded to their owners. 

Cats can be fiercely loyal and dependable. They can grow pretty attached to their owners over time as they spend time together.

2. Cats Can Reduce Stress

Research indicates that people who spend time with cats report being calmer and less angry. Having cats around can have an impactful effect on mental health. Scientists believe spending 15 to 30 minutes daily with your cat – cuddling, playing, or simply hanging out — will improve your happiness. 

It has to do with serotonin, a brain chemical that promotes emotions of well-being, and cortisol, a stress-related hormone. We have higher serotonin levels and lower cortisol levels when we spend time with cats.

3. Cats are Fun!

Cats are simply adorable! They have a charisma that can be seen in how easily cat videos and memes skyrocketed to viral status. Seeing your cat roll around, climb curtains, and hide under boxes is enjoyable.

Perhaps you already knew this intuitively, but as we’ve seen, data backs it up: pet owners are happier. Pets, particularly cats, are essential providers of social and emotional support for all pet owners, especially those with strong social networks.

4. Cats Teaches Responsibility

Owning a cat teaches us the value of organization and sticking to a schedule by delegating time for duties. Taking care of a cat demonstrates the direct consequences of one’s activities. It helps us assess how our actions influence others. 

We learn the importance of forming and sticking to habits, having pride in our job, and maintaining the health of another living being by engaging in cat feeding, litter box cleaning, and weekly grooming.

5. Cats Can Help You Exercise

A domestic cat can encourage you to engage in vigorous play all day. It’s always exciting to race your cat down the hall! 

Some study suggests that owning a cat increases physical and mental activity in elderly adults. It was discovered that older adults who owned a cat coped better with daily duties such as mounting stairs, preparing meals, and getting dressed.

6. Cats Can Help You Make Friends

Cats are automatic magnets for attention. Even those who don’t own pets can be drawn to your cat’s looks and charms. It’s no wonder that people, particularly other cat owners and children, would rush over to play with them when they’re outdoors. 

Pets, particularly cats, are an excellent method to meet new people and develop new friendships, especially for individuals who walk their pets or take them on walks. Interestingly, those who deeply bond with a pet feel more connected in their human relationships and communities.

7. Cats Deter Rodent Pests

Cats are natural predators. They’re built with genes that drive them to chase, hunt, and pounce on their prey—even if it is a fluffy toy on a string! While you should take every precaution to keep your cat from hunting because of the impact on native species, having a pest-free house is a beautiful benefit of having a cat. 

Rodents are significantly less likely to enter a home if they detect a hunter’s scent. Cats and mice have a long-standing rivalry, and naturally, mice tend to keep their distance at the first signs of your cat.

8. Cats are Key to a Ton of Health Benefits

Cats are Key to a Ton of Health Benefits

Studies show that persons who had previously owned cats were less likely to get a heart attack during that time. This is compared to people who had never owned cats—even when other risk factors such as blood pressure, cholesterol, smoking, and body mass index were considered. 

Having pets may assist your child’s immune system as they grow older. Cats may also provide emotional support to children by acting as companions and buddies when they are lonely or need good cuddling, which contributes significantly to mental health and wellness.

9. Cats Reduce Likelihood of Allergies and Asthma for Kids

Owning a cat can reduce the likelihood of developing allergies and asthma, particularly for children. According to the American Humane Association, integrating a cat into your home before your baby arrives may lessen his risk of having allergies in the future. 

A study claimed that infants raised with fuzzy pets like cats are less likely to acquire allergies or obesity. According to The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, exposure to cats early in life is associated with a lower asthma incidence in children.

10. Cats Give Us a Deeper Understanding of the Life Cycle

Owning a cat can be a lifelong learning experience. A sobering reality for most cat owners is that due to a cat’s life span of 15-18 years, it’s almost always inevitable that you would outlive your cat. This can be difficult to accept, but the hard truth is that all pets die. Though losing a beloved cat is very hard, the experience teaches us about the fragility and preciousness of life.

Our understanding of a cat’s life, biology, and fragility of existence is a precious lesson for each cat owner. We learn life lessons such as being understanding, kind, and patient to our pets and, by extension, to our fellow human beings.

11. Cats Teach Us to Share

As we form a bond with our cat, we will feel compelled to do everything we can to cater to our furry buddy’s happiness and comfort. It’s incredible to see the lengths we would go to benefit our pets. We share our hard-earned cash and spend it on a pet without expecting returns.

Furthermore, the relationships we make with our feline companions translate to the bonds we can form with our human friends. We gain social skills that will help us in social interactions with society and throughout our life by learning how to share and interact with another’s comfort level.

12. Cats Teaches Us Empathy

As we learn how to read another person or pet’s emotions and wants, a companion cat can be an excellent teacher. By gently patting your cat, brushing his ears, and listening to his purrs, you can learn how to appreciate and care for others.

Caring for the needs of a pet teaches us the fundamentals of empathy. It guides us to prioritize the needs of others before our own. Interacting with cats teaches us to be compassionate with little and delicate animals.

13. Cats are a Breath of Fresh Air During Hard Times

Having a cat gives you an excellent diversion, especially when you’re feeling depressed or are mentally down. Cuddling with a feline can divert your attention away from a bad day at work or a terrible confrontation with your boss.

According to an Australian study, cat owners have better psychological health than persons who do not own pets. On questionnaires, people report being happier, more confident, and less frightened, as well as sleeping, focusing, and dealing with challenges in their life more effectively. Solitary people with cats were in a better mood less frequently than those with cats and a companion.

14. Cats Can Be an Emotional Crutch after Trauma

A cat’s presence can have surprise healing advantages for humans who experience significant challenges. We’ve already discussed the overall health benefits of cats, but it turns out cats can also help humans recover from numerous traumas.

Recovering from surgery, patients and members of the armed forces suffering from PTSD may benefit from the presence of a cat. People who can’t count on human loved ones for company, in particular, say that a little feline companionship helps them recover faster from emotional and physical failures.

15. Cats Provide Love and Sense of Purpose

Every morning, our cats motivate us to get out of bed. They are entirely reliant on us for food and shelter. Fitting our cats’ demands into our schedules encourages us to manage our time better and gives our lives purpose and meaning. Cat owners believe that having a cat makes their lives better.

Cats sometimes act as if they don’t care about us, no matter how much attention and affection we offer them. Despite this, many owners are even more motivated to work hard to show love and devotion to their cats. Having a cat allows us to shape ourselves to be more predisposed to give and show love.

Conclusion

Cats are amiable, intelligent, and affectionate pets! They’re marvelous creatures that offer many benefits as companions and friends. Consider owning a cat if you wish to live a fuller life.

Further Reading

0 Shares:
Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

You May Also Like