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Kitty love a day keeps the doctor away
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Research shows that those with pets live longer and better than those living alone.
Kathryn Cairney/SXC. "Look at me, I'm cute and good for your heart"
Yesterday marked the close of National Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Week. From May 17-23, communities and medical personnel recognized the dedication of those providing day-to-day lifesaving services.
Having a cat, however, you’re probably less likely to need EMS. Sounds like a pretty extreme statement, but there is some truth to it.
According to a 2008 U.S. News & World Report article, having a cat at home could cut your heart attack risk by almost a third. These findings came from a study of more than 4,300 Americans, which showed stress relief from a pet can actually benefit your heart.
The study’s senior author, Dr. Adnan Qureshi, executive director of the Minnesota Stroke Institute at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, says that cat owners "appeared to have a lower rate of dying from heart attacks" over 10 years of follow-up compared to those without felines in their lives.
Now, you shouldn’t abandon exercise, healthy eating, and important prescriptions, but numerous studies have shown that companion animals can improve your health and boost the effects of medications.
According to a UCLA study, owners are even said to make fewer visits on average to their family physicians. This is most likely because they have less stress and engage in more physical activity than those without furry friends.
For the elderly, a cat may play an even more crucial role. A 1987 National Institutes of Health workshop on the benefits of pets concludes “in addition to examination of the effects of the human-companion animal bond among children and special populations of chronically ill or disabled adults, there has been widespread consideration of the benefits of companion animals for older persons.”
In the U.S. News & World Report article, Qureshi and Kathie Cole, a clinical nurse at the UCLA Medical Center and School of Nursing and lead author of an American Heart Association 2005 dog-and-heart-failure study, believe pet ownership should be seen as a low-cost, low-risk medical intervention that can potentially save or extend lives, especially for the elderly.
"The problem right now is that so many apartment buildings or nursing homes aren't allowing animals in," adds Cole.
In a 2009 mainstreet.com article, "7 Ways Pets Lower Stress and Save You Money," author Stacy Baker further explains how pets can ward of elderly depression:
“Loneliness and depression can be common among seniors and, while you eventually may still need home companion visits, research shows that those with pets live longer and better than those living alone.”
Baker goes on to site studies that show the simple act of petting your companion animal can “release brain chemicals (serotonin, for example) that naturally combat the condition.”
Maybe these findings will knock some sense into those who think cats are evil and somehow cause harm, as many an old wives’ tale has perpetuated. These are caring beings who love us. Our love and care for them can, in turn, be a great benefit to us emotionally and physically. For this, I say thank you Fluffy, Tessa, Joey, Caitlin, and Isabella.
Now go hug your kitty. While you're at it, spend some of that money you saved on your medical care and make him cat toys.
For more info:
CDC results
University of Minnesota article on cats and your health
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