10 scientific benefits of being a cat owner

Scientists have found that watching cat videos online can increase a person's energy and create positive emotions. At the same time, actually owning this animal has a number of benefits.

The publication Mental Floss named 10 scientific benefits of being a cat owner.

Read also: veterinarians have named the ugliest breeds of dogs

1. Having a cat is better for the environment

If you are worried about your carbon footprint, it is better to have a cat than a dog. A 2009 study found that the resources required to feed a dog over its lifetime creates the same environmental footprint as a Land Cruiser. Meanwhile, cats, who generally eat less and are more likely to eat fish than corn- or beef-flavored foods, have only about the same carbon footprint as a small hatchback.

2. They can help you cope with stuff

Losing a loved one is incredibly painful, but one of the best ways to cope is to have a pet. Cats have been proven to help people process the loss faster and show fewer physical symptoms of pain, such as crying.

Despite the fact that they are only animals, cats are a social support during difficult times. People in mourning report talking to their pet to understand their feelings, as it is often easier to talk to someone who is unresponsive and unable to judge than to another person.

3. ...And find a soulmate (maybe)

If you're a single guy and can't get a date, get a cat! A British survey found that 82% of women agreed that they are more attracted to men who love animals. And while having a dog will do wonders for your dating life, a whopping 90% of single women said in one survey that men who have cats are "cuter" than other guys.

However, not all women want a man who loves cats. One 2020 study found that women are less attracted to men who show cats in their dating profiles.

4. Cat owners are smart

A 2010 survey of British pet owners by the University of Bristol found that people who own cats are more likely to have a college degree than their dog-loving counterparts.

In 2014, a Wisconsin researcher surveyed 600 college students and found that cat owners were also smarter. (But it's probably not the cat itself that makes the owner smarter: the researchers who conducted the Bristol survey said that smarter people tend to work longer hours, and because cats require less attention than dogs, they're a better choice for the busy intellectual.)

5. You will have a healthy heart

Having any pet is good for your heart. Cats in particular reduce stress levels - perhaps because they don't require as much effort as dogs and reduce the level of anxiety in your life.

Petting a cat has a positive calming effect. One study found that over a 10-year period, cat owners were 30 percent less likely to die from a heart attack or stroke than non-cat owners (although this could just be because cat owners are more relaxed and less stressed). .

Read also: 5 dog breeds that have bad temperaments or get sick often

6. Cats fulfill your need for companionship

The stereotype that dogs are gentler than cats is just that - a stereotype. In fact, it turns out that cats can be just as loving as dogs, especially to women.

An Austrian study conducted in 2003 found that having a cat in the home is emotionally equivalent to having a romantic partner. The research showed that not only did they initiate contact most of the time, they would remember affection shown to them and return for it later.

But cats do have an advantage in this relationship. After thousands of years of domestication, cats have learned to emit a half purr/half whine that is extremely reminiscent of a human baby's cry. And since our brains are programmed to respond to our children's distress, it's almost impossible to ignore what a cat wants when it demands it.

7. Cats can tell you a lot about your personality

Your choice of pet reveals a bit about your personality. While dog lovers tend to be active fans, cat owners are quieter and more reserved. However, they are very important when it comes to how trustworthy they are and how much they trust other people. Cat owners are also less manipulative and more humble.

8. You will sleep better

Several studies and surveys in the UK have shown that people (especially women) prefer to sleep with their cats than with their partners, and they even report sleeping better with a cat than with a person.

One study conducted by the Mayo Clinical Center for Sleep Medicine indicates that they may be on the way: 41% of people in this study indicated that they slept better because of their pet, while only 20% said it led to distress.

9. Owning a cat could mean fewer allergies

In 2002, the National Institutes of Health published a study showing that children under a year old who had contact with a cat were less likely to develop allergies, and not just pet allergies.

According to Marshall Plaut, M.D., chief of the Division of Allergy Mechanisms at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, "Extensive contact with pets early in life protects not only against pet allergies, but also other types of common allergies, such as allergies". to dust mites, ragweed and grasses." And while the cat parasite Toxoplasma gondii poses a threat to young children, experts say that by changing the cat litter box every day and keeping your pet at home, you should be safe and allergy-free.

10. Cats can literally save your life

Cats have a reputation for being aloof and not caring about their humans, but they have saved countless lives over the years. One cat in the United Kingdom alerted her human when he was about to have an epileptic seizure, and a cat in Montana woke up two of her humans when a gas pipe started leaking. Firefighters told the couple that the house could easily have exploded if not for the cat's intervention.

Earlier UAportal told about the best dog breeds for people who spend a lot of time at home.

Want to receive the most relevant news about the war and events in Ukraine - subscribe to our Telegram channel!