If you’re known for loving cats, sometimes you tend to be the butt of jokes. You know how it goes–so and so is such a crazy cat lady! However, being a cat lover comes with quite a few perks–including improving your health!
7 Reasons Why Being a Crazy Cat Lady is Good For Your Health
Before you let anyone make you feel bad for being a crazy cat lady, you should read the following reasons why it’s actually a good thing, and not a bad thing. The last thing you should ever feel bad about is doing something good for yourself, right?
Here are the top 7 reasons why being a crazy cat lady is such a good thing:
Cat Cuddles Can Reduce Your Anxiety and Stress
Think about how you feel when your cat actually lets you cuddle with it. Or when they aren’t laying directly on top of your bladder, but they’re just too darned cute to move out of the way.
The simple fact is that cat cuddles can make you feel nice and relaxed. This can cause your body to release serotonin, which can affect your anxiety, happiness level, and mood. Researchers have also discovered that hugging your cat can reduce cortisol production, which is linked to stress.
You Can Learn More Compassion Because of Cats
It takes a compassionate person to love cats. As if we didn’t already know that, right? Having the ability to care for someone other than yourself is an incredible trait. Sadly, not everyone shares this trait.
Too bad for them, considering that caring for others helps to increase your happiness, which in turn is good for your overall health.
Related: Cat Lovers are Knitting Tiny Cat Couches in Their Spare Time
Cats Can Heal Infections and Swelling
Just how strongly does your cat purr? If your cat is a big purrer, you’re going to love this one. Did you know that by simply purring, your cat is able to create vibrations that are medically known to be therapeutic for illnesses?
Vibrations caused by purring has been shown to help people heal from swelling and infections, and it can also help the body heal soft tissues, and is linked to stronger bones.
Loving Cats is Good For Your Heart
Amazingly, having a cat around can have a calming effect that is really good for your heart. Relaxing with your cat around can help to lower your blood pressure and put you at a lower risk of having a heart attack.
The Journal of Vascular and Interventional Neurology featured a 2009 study that discovered cat owners are less likely to suffer from fatal cardiovascular diseases and strokes than people who do not own cats.
Even better, owning a cat can decrease your risk of having heart disease by an incredible 30 percent!
Cats Help to Prevent Stuffy Noses!
You might think that cats cause stuffy noses, but the opposite is actually true. A study in Clinical & Experimental Allergy showed that when children live in homes that have cats, they tend to have fewer allergies as they grow up.
The conclusion of the study is that essentially, being exposed to cat fur can help to boost your immune system. Pretty neat, huh?
Related: Cats Caught Picking their Noses… with Their Tongues!
Cats Help You Fall Asleep at Night
If you have trouble falling asleep, having a cat nearby is the perfect cure! The idea of a cat curing insomnia might sound odd, but Researchers from the Mayo Clinic discovered that if you allow your cat to sleep in the same room as you, it can help you to feel happier and more relaxed.
In other words, don’t shut your cat out of your bedroom. Letting them be near you at night can help you feel better, and I don’t know about you, but I really enjoy having my own two cats snuggled up against me at night.
Cats Can Help Fight Depression
When you’re feeling depressed, there is nothing that helps more than simply having someone there to help you feel better. Having a cat around to cuddle and spend time with can cause your body to create oxytocin, which is the “feel-good” chemical that helps you to feel calm.
In an article for “Live Science,” Dr. Carol Rinkleib Ellison describes this feeling of calm. She said that oxytocin is essentially the “hormone of attachment.” When you feel attached to something, it helps you to feel less depressed.
Related: Top Summer Cat Dangers That Cat Owners Should Be Aware Of
