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 stunning – impact on our bodily and psychological well being. Nonetheless, residing with cats shouldn’t be with out dangers.
A part of the household
You’ll have heard cats haven’t got homeowners, they’ve “staff”. In actual fact, a number of research present the people who stay with them really feel extra like beloved relations.
In a examine of 1,800 Dutch cat homeowners, half mentioned their cat was household. One in three seen their cat as a baby 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 vital part of households as canine.
Many cats would select human interplay over meals or toys. And they will distinguish after we are speaking to them (relatively than one other human).
In actual fact we have tailored to one another. Cats are extra probably 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 homeowners say “providing for the cat” will increase their emotions of enjoyment and sense of goal.
However the advantages of the connection might rely on the way you relate to your cat.
One examine checked out completely different relationship kinds 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 illnesses resembling stroke or coronary heart illness. This outcome has been repeated in a number of research.
Nonetheless an issue decoding inhabitants research is that they solely inform us about an affiliation. This implies whereas individuals with cats have decrease danger of dying from cardiovascular illnesses, we won’t say for positive cats are the trigger.
Cat possession has additionally been related to some constructive adjustments within the intestine microbiota, particularly in ladies, resembling improved blood glucose management and diminished irritation.
Serving to psychological well being
Having cat or canine can be related to greater psychological well-being. For individuals with despair, 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 technique to discover out concerning the well being influence 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 truly had poorer psychological well being scores. However their survey responses informed a special 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 once I’m coping with my anxiousness, despair or once I wake throughout the night time 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 could be that veterans have been extra connected to their cats as a result of they’d worse psychological well being – and relied on their cats extra for consolation – relatively than the opposite manner round.
Psychological well being downsides
It’s attainable being connected to your cat has downsides. In case your cat turns into sick, the burden of caring for them might have a detrimental influence 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 more likely to intervene with their day-to-day functioning.
Toxoplasmosis
Cats may carry zoonotic illnesses, 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 more likely to be carried by feral cats that hunt for his or her meals than home cats.
Most individuals have gentle signs that could be just like flu. However an infection throughout being pregnant can result in miscarriage or stillbirth, or trigger issues for the child together with blindness and seizures.
Pregnant ladies and other people with lowered immunity are most in danger. It is suggested these teams do not empty cat litter trays, or use gloves in the event that they should. Altering the litter tray every day prevents the parasite reaching a stage that would infect individuals.
Allergic reactions
As much as one in 5 individuals have an allergy to cats and that is rising.
When cats lick their fur, their saliva deposits an allergen. When their fur and dander (flakes of pores and skin) come free, it will probably set off an allergic response.
Folks with out extreme allergic reactions can nonetheless stay with cats in the event that they usually wash their palms, clear surfaces and vacuum to remove dander. They’ll additionally exclude cats from areas they need to be allergen-free, resembling bedrooms.
Whereas cats can provoke allergic reactions, there may be additionally proof contact with cats can have a protecting position in stopping bronchial asthma and allergic reactions growing. It’s because publicity might modify the immune system, making it much less probably allergic reactions will happen.
Susan Hazel, Affiliate Professor, Faculty of Animal and Veterinary Science, College of Adelaide
This text is republished from The Dialog beneath a Artistic Commons license. Learn the authentic article.
