Cats have lived with people for hundreds of years. And lengthy earlier than cat memes and viral TikToks took over the web, they have been comforting us with their purrs and making us chuckle with their bizarre antics.
However what does the analysis say – are cats good for us?
Residing with a cat can have a profound – and typically shocking – impact on our bodily and psychological well being. Nonetheless, residing with cats just isn’t with out dangers.
A part of the household
You might have heard cats do not have house owners, they’ve “staff”. In reality, a number of research present the people who stay with them really feel extra like beloved family.
In a examine of 1,800 Dutch cat house owners, half mentioned their cat was household. One in three considered their cat as a toddler or greatest good friend and located them loyal, supportive and empathetic.
One other US examine developed a “household bondedness” scale and located cats have been simply as necessary part of households as canines.
Many cats would select human interplay over meals or toys. And they will distinguish once we are speaking to them (fairly than one other human).
In reality we have tailored to one another. Cats are extra doubtless to method human strangers who first give a “kitty kiss” – narrowing your eyes and blinking slowly. And analysis suggests cats have developed particular meows that tune into our nurturing instincts.
What does this shut relationship imply for well being outcomes?
A way of goal
Proudly owning a pet is related to much less social isolation. And some cat house owners say “providing for the cat” will increase their emotions of enjoyment and sense of goal.
However the advantages of the connection could rely upon the way you relate to your cat.
One examine checked out totally different relationship types between people and cats, together with “remote”, “casual” and “co-dependent”. It discovered individuals whose relationship with their cat was co-dependent or like a good friend had a better emotional connection to their pet.
Hyperlinks to coronary heart well being
Individuals who personal – or have owned – a cat have a decrease danger of dying from cardiovascular ailments corresponding to stroke or coronary heart illness. This end result has been repeated in a number of research.
Nonetheless an issue deciphering inhabitants research is that they solely inform us about an affiliation. This implies whereas individuals with cats have decrease danger of dying from cardiovascular ailments, we won’t say for positive cats are the trigger.
Cat possession has additionally been related to some optimistic modifications within the intestine microbiota, particularly in ladies, corresponding to improved blood glucose management and lowered irritation.
Serving to psychological well being
Having cat or canine can be related to greater psychological well-being. For individuals with melancholy, patting or enjoying with their cat has been proven to cut back signs (though this was over a brief, two-hour interval and cannot be extrapolated longer-term).
One other option to discover out in regards to the well being affect of cats is qualitative analysis: asking individuals what their cats imply to them, past the numbers.
When colleagues and I surveyed veterans, we discovered individuals extra connected to their pets really had poorer psychological well being scores. However their survey responses advised a distinct story. One respondent mentioned, “my cats are the reason I get up in the morning”.
One other wrote:
I contemplate my pet to be a service animal. My cat helps me to calm down after I’m coping with my nervousness, melancholy or after I wake in the course of the evening from the frequent nightmares I’ve. My cat is not only a pet to me, my cat is part of me, my cat is a part of my household.
It might be that veterans have been extra connected to their cats as a result of that they had worse psychological well being – and relied on their cats extra for consolation – fairly than the opposite approach round.
Psychological well being downsides
It’s potential being connected to your cat has downsides. In case your cat turns into sick, the burden of caring for them could have a destructive affect in your psychological well being.
In our examine of homeowners whose cats had epilepsy, round one third skilled a scientific stage of burden as caregivers that was prone to intervene with their day-to-day functioning.
Toxoplasmosis
Cats may carry zoonotic ailments, that are infections which unfold from animals to people.
They’re the principle host for toxoplasmosis, a parasite excreted in cat faeces which might have an effect on different mammals, together with people. The parasite is extra prone to be carried by feral cats that hunt for his or her meals than home cats.
Most individuals have delicate signs that could be just like flu. However an infection throughout being pregnant can result in miscarriage or stillbirth, or trigger issues for the infant together with blindness and seizures.
Pregnant ladies and other people with lowered immunity are most in danger. It is strongly recommended these teams do not empty cat litter trays, or use gloves in the event that they need to. Altering the litter tray every day prevents the parasite reaching a stage that would infect individuals.
Allergy symptoms
As much as one in 5 individuals have an allergy to cats and that is growing.
When cats lick their fur, their saliva deposits an allergen. When their fur and dander (flakes of pores and skin) come free, it might probably set off an allergic response.
Folks with out extreme allergic reactions can nonetheless stay with cats in the event that they recurrently wash their arms, clear surfaces and vacuum to eradicate dander. They will additionally exclude cats from areas they wish to be allergen-free, corresponding to bedrooms.
Whereas cats can provoke allergic reactions, there’s additionally proof contact with cats can have a protecting position in stopping bronchial asthma and allergic reactions growing. It’s because publicity could modify the immune system, making it much less doubtless allergic reactions will happen.
Susan Hazel, Affiliate Professor, Faculty of Animal and Veterinary Science, College of Adelaide
This text is republished from The Dialog below a Artistic Commons license. Learn the unique article.
