Give Thanks to Your Cat for Your Healthy Heart

Those of you who have cats can relax a little when it comes to heart attacks. It has been discovered that people who own cats have a 40% lower risk of having a heart attack. Although dogs do not show such statistics, they do help with stress levels.

Recent study shows cat’s miraculous impact on the human heart.
Dr. Adnan Qureshi is a stroke expert at the University of Minnesota. He and a team of experts analyzed tests over a ten year period with almost 4,435 Americans. Out of these Americans, 2,435 owned a cat or had owned a cat in the past. The remaining 2,000 had never owned a cat. In this study, there were not as many participants recorded as dying from heart attacks.

Statistics on cats and dogs
According to the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association, there are 90 million cats owned in the United States. 38.4 million U.S. households own at least one cat. 56 percent own more than one cat. There are 74.8 million dogs owned in the United States. 39 percent of U.S. households own at least one dog. Therefore, there are 36.4 million more cats out there performing their miracles.

All animals are important to reducing stress.
Animals in general are perceived to have a positive effect on people’s health if they consider their animals a part of the family. Animals tend to have a calming and relaxing effect on people, especially during times of stress.

If you are a dog owner, don’t feel left out. It is likely that there just hasn’t been a study done specifically for dogs.

Get the word out
With this study and studies done in the past on the health benefits animals have on people, researchers believe that pet ownership is a medical intervention that does not cost as much as drugs and tests and there are not as many risks involved as drugs and tests. Although this has been proven through studies, animals are sometimes not being allowed into apartment building and nursing homes. More needs to be done to make people more aware of the benefits animals have on the health of people.

Imagine all of those people who have died from stress related problems turning into strokes or heart problems that could have possibly been saved just by the love an animal.

Please help get the word out “animals are important in saving lives”. Medical facilities, apartment buildings and nursing homes need to step up and listen to the people. There are some nursing homes and apartment buildings that have recognized an animal’s importance to a patient’s health.

Get out the cat stroller and go for a walk.
Your cat obviously deserves some pampering after all that hard work of loving you! After all, just being himself could be the gift of life. Get him a favorite treat, grab the harness, put him in the cat stroller and take him out for a walk in the park. It will do you both some good to get out and get some fresh air and exercise, and he will enjoy getting out and hearing the birds! Just don’t let him run free! You don’t want him running away or getting that bird! After a long walk in the cat stroller, go home and relax with your cat. He will likely be ready for a nap in his pet bed or in your lap!