Those who have a cat will understand the benefits of having a cat as a pet. Having grown up with cats from a baby I have experienced the many happy and sad moments I have experience with them.
My first cat, Miffy used to sleep at the end of my bed every night. Another Smokey used to come and sit on my homework every evening purring looking for attention. She also had a unique sense of knowing when I was upset and needed that comfort and never failed to be there when I needed a hug and bury my tears into her fluffy belly.
I have been adamant that my children be exposed to animals and respect and care for them the way I was brought up. There are many benefits to having pets, particularly cats and I am not the only one to believe this. Animal and human interaction has been a fascination of researchers for years.
I have experienced countless times over the years, talking to a cat when upset or mourning is often easier as they will not judge you. The cat will be quite happy to lap up the attention (literally) and comfort that you need at that time. What more could they ask for?
Research has even suggested that single men are more likely to attract a partner if they own a cat. It would appear that 82% of women are more attracted to men with a cat and are much nicer than those who own dogs. Sorry guys if you own a dog!
British pet owners were researched in 2010 and found that those who owned cats were more likely to have college degrees. This was replicated in the USA (2014) which found that of 600 students, the cat owners were more intelligent. I have two master’s degrees; however, I would not be in a rush to suggest that this is because I have two cats. In fact, if anything, the cat is more of a hindrance when studying, as both frequently sit in from of the computer screen, or on the textbooks and all paperwork is identifiable with a muddy wet paw print or two.
Besides, anyone who owns and loves their cats as much as I do knows it is a sin to move the cat once they have made themselves comfortable, affording me another excuse to leave the desk and return to the kitchen in the hope that just one more packet of crisps would have appeared in the five minutes since I last checked.
Anyone working in the medical field would know that it is not unusual to hear that having a pet will reduce stress or anxiety, therefore, reducing the risk of heart attacks or strokes. This, however, could be attributed more to the type of people who would be more likely to own a pet rather than the cat itself being the reason.
Apparently owning a cat can also let people know that you are generally a quieter person and more introvert compared to the life and soul of the party types who will more than likely have a dog. This belief is one I would not totally agree with given that my dad is obsessed with the dog, and yet he is the most introvert person I have even known.
Some research has suggested that many women prefer to sleep next to their cat than their partner. As I have mentioned, I have had cats sleep with me throughout my life. These days I have awful sleeping patterns and my cats are no help at all!. The unwritten rule of not moving a cat when they are comfortable generally results in the cat stretched across the middle half of the bed often with your legs straddled either side, not conducive to sleeping on your side. As well as this, the mild snoring of both cats as they are in a perfect position can be slightly irritating.
Lastly, when you subconsciously move at 4 am to alleviate the cramp that’s developed due to the awkward position you found yourself in, the cat decides that you are awake and it is time to get up for food breakfast. For my cats that sleep 22 hours of the day, this is fine, but for those of us who have a busy day ahead, this is incredibly irritating. Therefore, these days the cats are kept in the kitchen at night!
Perhaps the most interesting research is that children who grow up with animals have fewer issues with allergies. I have to say that my boys (now 15 and 13) are rarely ill, have had minimal antibiotics and have never experienced any allergies. This is despite living with two house cats (not officially, just they won’t go out when it is cold or wet) a dog until recently, a parrot who currently rules the house and 19 chicken and ducks who rule the garden. Therefore, I fully support this research
Finally, more of a 21st-century argument, some authors are even suggesting that having a cat vs a dog is better for carbon footprint as cats eat less. I am not sure I would totally agree with this and you might agree if you saw the size of my two monsters in relation to most cats, plus my cat food bill is growing due to the ‘snacks’ they help themselves to during the day while I am unaware.
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