They say you can tell a lot about a person by the company they keep. Well here’s some good news for cat owners… studies have shown that cat people are among the healthiest, happiest, and smartest people in the world. Scientific research has repeatedly shown that there are significant health and happiness benefits of having a feline family member in your home. So what are they?
Here are 5 reasons why cats make us better people:
Reason #1: Cats are good for our (mental) health
Numerous studies have been published showing that cat owners have higher IQs than their dog owning counterparts. Some of these studies suggest that this is in part due to time constraints (smarter people tend to work longer hours, and cats tend to require less maintenance than dogs), but it is also suggested that the relaxed demeanor of a cat has a calming effect on the family members which promotes mental health and increased brain activity.
[clickToTweet tweet=”Cat people are among the healthiest, happiest, and smartest people in the world.” quote=”Cat people are among the healthiest, happiest, and smartest people in the world.”]
And of course, petting our cats brightens our mood. Just a few minutes of petting (or even brushing) your cat signals our brain to start producing the hormones oxytocin and serotonin – these are 2 calming chemicals that when released in our bodies make us feel more relaxed and at peace.
It’s soothing for our cats to be stroked and touched by us, but we also get a huge physiological payback as well. Go pet your cat!
They purr to indicate their feelings – maybe if people would communicate better and show appreciation more we’d have a better world
AMEN1!!
They have so much patience unlike too many people I know. Cats are the zen masters of the animal world.
They love to nap just like me! 🙂
Cats love us uncontionally
ANOTHER AMEN Actually prefer cats over people, purest love
They always land on their feet! A good motto to live by.
Cats teach us to be independent and not just follow what others are doing.
My cat makes me smile everytime I hold him. Especially after a bad day at work
They comfort you when you are sad and unhappy, and weary or tired. They show you the way to relax, which a lot of us forgot in our rush to continue competitively in our “rat race” society.
I read somewhere that cats are 2nd only to chimpanzees in mammal intelligence so I say because they are SMART!
They teach us what the meaning of healthy boundaries is: self-love and love for others in equal measures, neither one yielding to the other. Persistence is rewarded and opportunities are certainly exploited, but no means no. Purty please.
I tend to judge a person by whether or not they like cats. I have a mistrust of those who don’t like them which I just can’t shift.