Feline companionship might just be one of the best things you can do for your health. Studies show that cat owners are less likely to die of a heart attack or any other cardiovascular disease in comparison to people who’ve never owned a pet cat. A study with almost 4,500 men and women, all free of cardiovascular disease, was started in the 1970s. This study was to determine the effects of pet ownership regarding heart conditions, being aged between 30 and 75. 55% of them reported having a pet cat at some point in their life.

The people who have never owned a cat were 40% more likely to die from a heart attack, in comparison with cat owners, over the 20-year study period. These same people were also 30% more liekly to die of any other cardiovascular disease, including; stroke, heart failure, and chronic heart disease. These results still held up when taking into consideration several other risk factors for developing heart disease such as: age, gender, race, blood pressure, and smoking.

Researchers were unable to find the same link for owners of dogs. A researcher, Farhan Siddiq, MD, of the University of Minnesota, explains that pet lovers most likely share a personality characteristic, such as low stress and anxiety levels, that help protect them against heart disease. People with dogs most likely share these characteristics, however, the data does not reveal that.

Cats and dogs make people feel loved and at ease and it has been shown that a general feeling of well-being is linked to overall health.

With all of this said, feline companionship might be more important than most people might believe. ZenByCat for one, does agree that a cat’s companionship is very important. They believe that the mutual relationship between cats and human is extremely beneficial on both sides of the spectrum. Fussie Cat has teamed up with ZenByCat to help raise awareness and money to find a cure for Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP). Feline Infectious Peritonitis is a disease that kills 1 in 100 to 1 in 300 cats between the ages 3-5.

If you would like to learn more about FIP or ZenByCat and even donate to the cause, you can click ZenByCat’s logo!

 

Help us save the lives of our feline friends, you never know when they might save ours.