{"id":14715,"date":"2020-08-08T16:05:32","date_gmt":"2020-08-08T20:05:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/?p=14715"},"modified":"2026-03-01T14:39:04","modified_gmt":"2026-03-01T19:39:04","slug":"benefits-of-having-a-cat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/benefits-of-having-a-cat\/","title":{"rendered":"See the 5 health benefits of having a cat"},"content":{"rendered":"

In the pet pantheon, cats haven\u2019t always been at the top of the heap\u2014probably owing to their reputation for being aloof, finicky, and not as loving as their canine counterparts. But as many a cat lady (and gentleman) know, these stereotypes simply aren\u2019t true, and science backs this up. <\/span>One study<\/span>, for instance, found that cats and their owners share a truly deep, mutually advantageous bond. (And that bond is especially intense between women and their cats.)<\/span><\/p>\n

5 scientifically proven health benefits of having a cat<\/span><\/h2>\n

So while cats may not be <\/span>purrrrrfect<\/span><\/i>, they not only provide important companionship but can also have powerful effects on your well-being. Here are five ways cats can help your health. <\/span>Meow!<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

1. Petting a cat may lower your stress levels<\/span><\/h3>\n

If you\u2019ve ever spent an afternoon cuddled on the couch stroking Fluffy\u2019s fur or scratching Simba\u2019s ears, you already know anecdotally the calming effect it can have. But there\u2019s also hard research to back the stress-reducing benefits of physically interacting with a feline.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In <\/span>one study<\/span><\/a>, a group of researchers from Washington State University gathered 249 students for an animal visitation, but only a small percentage of them were allowed to interact with the cats and dogs, with the other participants split into various groups to either watch from afar, be shown pictures of animals, or wait indefinitely with no animal stimuli whatsoever. The first group that got to pet and play with the animals\u2014for a mere 10 minutes!\u2014showed the greatest reduction in cortisol levels (a.k.a. the stress hormone).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

While petting a cat may reduce cortisol levels, it also may ramp up levels of the so-called feel-good \u201clove hormone\u201d oxytocin. \u201cIt\u2019s a bonding hormone secreted in breastfeeding and during sex,\u201d explains <\/span>Melanie Greenberg<\/span><\/a>, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist and author of <\/span>The Stress-Proof Brain<\/span><\/i>. \u201cI think that could be one of the hormones that’s at play here. It gives you a sense of connection and well-being.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

That connection can also help compensate for feelings of loneliness, which is another stressor on the body, according to Greenberg. <\/span>
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\n<\/span>RELATED: <\/b>Surprising ways stress can affect your body<\/b><\/a> | <\/b>Stress statistics<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

2. Cats may make you happier<\/span><\/h3>\n

In addition to lowering stress levels, face time with a furry friend may also boost your mood\u2014even if those minutes are through a computer screen. Intrigued by the wave of internet cat videos that kept popping up in her feed, researcher Jessica Myrick, Ph.D. and associate professor at Pennsylvania State University, decided to find out their effect on people\u2019s emotions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

She <\/span>surveyed<\/span><\/a> nearly 7,000 <\/span>Lil\u2019 Bub<\/span><\/a> fans to discover how they felt after watching an internet cat video or viewing cat pictures online (she didn\u2019t delineate between the two). \u201cI found that most people felt better [afterward],\u201d Myrick says. \u201cThey reported higher levels of positive emotions, lower levels of negative emotions, and they also reported feeling a little more energized.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

So the next time you need an injection of joy, consider firing up your laptop and watching <\/span>Keyboard Cat<\/span><\/a> tickle the ivories for a few minutes.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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