Owning a cat is good for you!

AS you know I love to google and I found this very interesting news for Cat lovers -
not so good for dog lovers tho' :D
- - -

Owning a Cat Good for the Heart?



Study Shows Cat Owners Less Likely to Die From Heart Attacks
Your cat may bring you a lot more than unconditional love after a tough day.

A new study shows that cat owners are less likely to die of a heart attack and
other cardiovascular diseases than people who have never had a pet cat.

The findings emerged from an analysis of data on nearly 4,500 men and women,
ages 30 to 75, who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination
Study.
All were free of cardiovascular disease when they entered the study in the 1970s.
Over half, 55%, reported having a pet cat at some point in their lives.

Compared with cat owners, people who never had a pet cat were 40% more likely
to die of a heart attack over the 20-year study period. They were also 30% more likely
to die of any cardiovascular disease, including stroke, heart failure, and chronic heart disease.

The results held true even after the researchers took into account other risk factors
for heart disease and stroke, including age, gender, race, blood pressure, and smoking.

The researchers found no such link for people who had a pet dog. :(

[ 23. February 2008, 11:50 AM: Message edited by: jjordie ]

 

Hi jj.
Know you probably expected this response jj, but how come? i like cats, would love one if i had to look after it for any reason (did love my brothers when i was little), but why not a dog.

could be too much stress involved. If you have a cat you have to accept that it goes out and that's that, till you see it again? What do you think? No less love involved, just that dogs are more time consuming, maybe?

I love my goldfish - 13 years old & still going, same tank, on his own (tried to introduce other fish)

I'm stressed to bits, no fair

cheers

 

Hi borrowers
Don't know - I just found it on line and thought it
was interesting/amusing
:D

 

Fair enough jj,
no doubt we'll get lots of reasons posted. that's what's so good about this site.

cheers

 

This is a well known fact. Some more liberal hospitals, rest homes etc. actually have their own resident cat. Just having a cat sitting on your knee, purring and being stroked is very relaxing.

Dogs are more demanding but I do believe that regular long walks with a dog are beneficial to health. Don't know if anyone has actually investigated this scientifically though. I'll have to check.

 

Tis true, Sarraceniac. The presence of the soft, warm, silky furred body has a bio-feedback effect on the human physiology. And the purring does even more so. It has been demonstrated that a person's blood pressure will drop by as much as 10-20 points whilst nursing a purring puddy! Much as hypnotherapy does.

This has been explored especially by Pets As Therapy and one reason why PAT cats are often more popular than PAT dogs although, sadly, there are only around 19 PAT cats in the UK at the moment as opposed to about 1,000+ PAT dogs.

 

I'm interested to see that some people find that a cat's purring is relaxing.
The old moggy I adopted (or rather the one that adopted me) makes a sound like Dr Who's Tardis revving up when he purrs. And to think when he first came to me I thought he had no voice!

 

Same here Jackbth, our purrs loudly like the Tardis but also feels like the Tardis when she's sitting on me and my legs go to sleep. :D
Having had both animals I think cats are more relaxing to have than a dog.

 

Funny this topic has been brought up, i was thinking about posting one.
Anyway, I happen to love cats alot i own 1 beautiful ticked tabby and a grumpy old timer british short balck and white hair.

Whenever i am stressed, upset, angry, in pain or messed up! i funnily call my baby (jess the ticked tabby cuz i raised him from 4 weeks old), and he will sit on my lap i will stroke and fuss him and i find it relaxes me.
Dogs are more of a play and fun animal if you ask me, you know like a dog is fun for exercise, walking and playing with.
A cat relaxes you.

I am infact a full animal lover, dog, cat, reptile, amphibian, insect or snail!
so any animal is beautiful to me