The doctor is IN
Series: This is part 2 of a series called Cat time is good for you.
Believe it or not, our sweet-bundles-of-fur are probably saving us a bundle in medical bills.
Wait til you hear all this…
While cats in particular have healing powers, research on pet companionship in general is also impressive.
According to research discussed in this news report, people with pets save the Australian health service about $880 million per year and save Germany about $6.6 billion per year. The research found that people with pets:
- need fewer visits to their doctor each year
- have fewer sleeping difficulties
- are less likely to need heart condition medicine
I was really excited about some research I found on cats in particular…
Cats may reduce heart attack risk by 40%
While a study showed that both cats and dogs reduced stress-related blood pressure more than ace inhibitor medication, a study at the University of Minnesota found that cats in particular may reduce your chances of a heart attack by 40%.
The study, which looked at 4,435 Americans aged 30 to 75, showed that those who did not have a cat had a 40% higher risk of having a heart attack and a 30% greater risk of dying from other heart diseases than those who have or have had a cat.
I was diagnosed with a heart arrhythmia many years ago. That’s a crazy erratic, racing heartbeat that happens periodically in varying degrees of intensity and threat.
I did not have a cat at the time. A bit later I lived with cats again and a bit later I stopped having arrhythmia. Didn’t think much of it.
Fast forward many years to when my only cat, Bastet, was dying. I started having bouts of terrible heart arrhythmia symptoms. After she died it got worse–and by worse I mean nearly constant.
It stopped the day we brought home two new purring youngsters named Phil and Joel. The arrhythmia disappeared that day and hasn’t returned since. Were there other factors that may have affected my heart arrhythmia in these cases? Probably. But the timing of the healing was uncanny.
What’s at the root of a cat’s healing power?
There’s certainly some mystery as to exactly how cats and dogs manage to be good for our health. So far my investigation has uncovered these research nuggets about the healing power of kitty cats:
- Stress symptoms are lowest in people with cats
In a study by Dr. June McNicholas, stress symptoms were lowest in cat owners, second lowest in dog owners, and highest in people without pets.
- Purring heals—a lot of things!
The Fauna Communications Research Institute found that every cat in their study created purr vibrations within a range known be medically therapeutic (25-150 Hz). This frequency is therapeutic for:
- bone growth and healing
- pain relief
- swelling reduction
- wound healing
- muscle growth and repair
- tendon repair
- joint mobility
- dyspnea (shortness of breath) relief
Wow!
Other good news about having an animal friend at home
- Having a pet reduces your risk of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma cancer by about 33%! The longer you have pets, the less likely you are to develop lymphoma.
- People with pets live longer according to the Merck Veterinary Manual
- Pets are good for your mental health: One example is another study by Dr. June McNicholas of the University of Warwick. Her research showed that seniors had less depression and psychological distress if they had a pet.
Well, this has been humbling! Excuse me while I go see what little Phil and Joel are up to.
Do you suspect a cat helped you heal?
I would love to hear your thoughts in the Comments below.
Onward to Part 3, where I’ll look at an easy healing meditation technique that you can do with your cat. I tested it with a biofeedback device.
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Of course cats have healing powers…there isn’t any question in MY mind! I cannot tell you the various times when my cats made all the difference in the world.
I’m looking forward to your receiving your blog. I’ve just signed up.
Thanks Ruth, it’s great to have you around! I took a quick look at your website and only wish we lived closer so you could petsit for us!
I love my cat!! Thank you for the informative article. I’ll cuddle him extra. How, I don’t know, as we are already inseparable.!
Morab, I know what you mean.
Yes, without a doubt. When I used to teach aromatherapy massage, my two Siamese assistants would do Reiki. I had clients who insisted we couldn’t begin until a cat was on the massage table.
Layla, I get that!
It’s great to see CatWisdom101 representing here. Thank you!
My cat is an acupuncturist. I first noticed a few years ago when I had a bad sinus infection that lasted for months. My cat curled up tight on top of my head and gently stuck her claw in the top of my head. I felt her one claw go into my scalp and when I sat up my nose drained like never before. Within a few days I was completely better. She also saved me from a possible stroke with very high blood pressure she wrapped her body tightly around my head like a halo.
Nanette, wow–what a great cat! Thank you for sharing your healing stories.
I do believe that cats have an amazing ability to heal that we haven’t tapped into or maybe the Egyptians new this centuries ago.
Liz, my oldest cat, Harley (age 14), saved me several times from committing suicide! I also had a very sweet cat, Angel, who used to lie on my husband’s side when he had withdrawals from drugs and alcohol. He said that while she was lying on him, the symptoms were tolerable, but when she got off, he could barely stand it. She was a bona fide healer who, I think, gave so much of herself that it caused her irreparable harm. She passed away when she was 3 years old from one too many seizures. Needless to say, it was the worst day of my life. I’m just grateful that she was in my life. We still have 5 cat-children, along with feral cats outside. After reading all your articles, I will never be without a cat again!!! Thanks for sharing!
Molly, those are profound examples of feline healing. Thank you so much for sharing–Harley and Angel’s stories will stick with me. Hope to see you around here often. : )
I had a really bad head ache today had to sleep it off, my cat came and sat with me but her paws where on my leg. When i woke up my headache was gone. It could have been the sleep but i feel my cat sent healing to me whilst her paws where on me.
Terri, I agree, I think your cat was helping you out there! Thanks for sharing your headache-be-gone story.
Just the other day I had a really sore back. When I went to sleep I layed on my stomach and hoped for the best. In the middle of the night, my cat layed on my back and the pain immediately subsided. It was crazy! In the morning, my back didn`t hurt at all.
Love your cat back healing story, Becca. Thanks!
Hi. i am a 47 y/o physically disabled woman (spina befida). I use a motorized wheelchair. I have several medical problems – some associated to my disability, and some not – among these anxiety, high blood pressure, acid reflux and extreme back pain due to severe scoliosis. In spite of the problems, i work full time to support myself and i love working. However, when you combine everything i can sometimes feel quite overwhelmed. I am a lifelong animal lover. The majority of my animal friends during my life were birds. For this reason, i was never really interested in a cat as a pet until a few years ago when i started getting interested in the Devon Rex and the Sphynx breeds. A friend of mine had a female Sphynx of was being driven up the wall by her 3 other male Sphynx. She made me an offer i could not refuse… would i adopt her female? I jumped at the opportunity. During this time, we were have some particularly difficult times at work with some major changes. I would come home with headaches, bad anxiety and my face was red. From the very first day when Bella greeted. me at the door after work, these symptoms stopped. It did not occur to me before several weeks after when i. thought “hey wait a minute…”. I have never felt those overwhelming feelings again so far, and it’s just as crazy busy at the office as it as back then! It’s been about eight months!
Murielle – I’m so happy you and Bella found each other, and I love your story! Thank you so much for sharing it on my blog.