Pet Benefits

1. Steadying your nervous system
According to Dr. Fraga “Petting your cat can soothe your nervous system, which helps when you’re feeling stressed." It can relax your body and help you breathe more steadily, for example.

2. Teaching meditation and mindfulness
Cats remind us to be present by doing that themselves. Plus, “petting your cat can also slow down your breathing, helping you feel more relaxed,” Dr. Fraga adds. You’re able to have a more peaceful and pleasurable sensory moment, all thanks to your feline.

3. Increasing positive emotions
Do you feel better when you’re around your cat? While simple, it’s a real benefit.  “Spending time with your cat can increase positive emotions like joy and happiness,” Dr. Fraga states.

4. Encouraging self-care

Whether it’s finding a warm spot in the sun, grooming themselves or doing whatever they feel like doing, cats show their owners how to practice self-care.  “Cats are wonderful teachers because they know how to find warmth [and] they know how to take care of their needs, which models that we should do the same,” Dr. Fraga points out.”

5. Reducing anxiety

Can’t stop worrying? Spending quality time with your cat can help.  “Petting a cat and listening to its purr can reduce feelings of anxiety,” Dr. Fraga notes.  That could be for many reasons—how it helps you stay present, how the sensations are calming or just spending time with a “loved one.””

6. Reducing loneliness

While a cat obviously isn’t a human, it still serves as a living companion.  “The presence of a pet, including a cat, can help reduce feelings of loneliness because you’re in the company of your adorable pet,” Dr. Fraga states.

7. Helping us practice patience
Anyone who’s owned a cat knows that cats can try your patience, whether it’s from knocking your keys off the counter, pouncing on you in bed or purring until you feed them. While that can be frustrating in the moment, it allows us to practice tolerating that frustration.  “A relationship with your cat is an exercise in patience,” Dr. Fraga shares. “They have a mind of their own and ask their owners to follow their lead.”

8. Increases motivation
Getting out of bed can be hard sometimes—especially if you have depression—and having a living thing to care for can help.  “Cats require care-taking, which motivates us to tend to their needs,” Dr. Fraga explains. “This can help us take charge in other areas of our lives, too.”  She gives the example of having to get up early to feed your cat, then deciding to clean your house or tackle another task on your to-do list.

While owning a cat won’t “purrfectly” address your mental health, it clearly has many significant advantages that can accompany medication and therapy.”

From “8 Psychological Benefits of Owning a Cat, According to a Psychologist” by Ashley Broadwater  Parade