Owning a Cat Can Improve Your Cardiac Health
Everyone knows that having a pet is good for your health. Today, we’ll tell you all about how owning a cat can even improve your cardiac health.
The heart is the hardest-working muscle in the body. It doesn’t just pump blood; it’s also the place where we experience many of our feelings. Keeping your heart healthy is therefore essential for a happy, healthy life.
Let’s take a look at how having a cat can benefit your heart and improve your general health.
Cats and cardiac health
Experts say that cat owners are less likely to suffer heart attacks. One study by the University of Minnesota shows that there is a clear link between cats and improved cardiac health.
4500 people took part in the study. Of these people, 3 out of 5 were cat owners. They were studied over a period of 10 years – sufficient time to observe that the cat owners had far better cardiac health than those without cats. They were also 30% less likely to suffer a heart attack.
But this isn’t the only study to have proven the link between cats and heart health. In 2009, another study confirmed that owning a cat significantly reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
Other ways cats can improve cardiac health
Cats invented the nap
Cats were the first creatures to sleep at any time of the day or night. Taking a quick cat nap, at least after eating, is shown to improve productivity, creativity, the ability to focus, and health in general.
Cats don’t believe in failure
Cats always find a way to pick themselves back up. They never accept failure, and their ability to keep going until they achieve their goal helps keep them alive. We can learn a lot from our feline friends. After all, people who succeed in achieving their life goals are more likely to be happy. And, happiness is essential for a healthy heart.
They’ll calm your nerves
Many studies have demonstrated that stroking your cat and hearing it purr is relaxing, and can help reduce stress and blood pressure. This, in turn, also helps to reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases.
What better reason do you need to cuddle your cat?
They’ll make you laugh
We often talk about how fun it is to own a pet, and cats are definitely no exception. Their desire to see and touch everything gets them into some hilarious situations, leaving their owners in fits of laughter.
They say that laughter is the best medicine, helping you live longer, and improving cardiac health. Just another amazing way that owning a cat will keep you happy and healthy for longer.
There is even research that proves that watching cat videos for just 20 minutes will reduce cortisol levels, and help improve long-term memory.
They can alleviate feelings of depression
Stroking a cat – even just for a few minutes – can reduce stress. It can also improve your mood, and serve as a positive form of distraction for anyone suffering from feelings of depression. A happy heart is a healthy heart.
Cats can reduce feelings of loneliness
A lonely heart, on the other hand, is a sad, listless heart. In severe cases, this can cause the heart to stop performing as it should and even lead to certain cardiovascular diseases.
Cats are great companions, relieving feelings of loneliness and taking the strain off your heart.
These are just some of the benefits of owning a cat can have for your heart, but there are many more. If you don’t have a cat, why not adopt one, and discover them for yourself?