Humans have evolved over thousands of years but are still not equipped to handle stress. Different people try different techniques like yoga and meditation to get the desired health benefits but the easiest and the best way to reduce stress is to play with your cat. Agreed that this does sound bizarre but it has been scientifically proved that people who have pets lead a healthier life as compared to those who live alone.
• Cats improve your mood – These feline creatures do not let you stay in a bad mood. You forget all your tensions and worries as soon a soft cat rubs against your foot. Research has proved that the presence of cats reduces the chances of depression to a third. A survey was conducted on a group of people suffering from AIDS and it was found that people without cats reported depression at least three times more than people who had cats.
• Help in controlling blood pressure – People suffering from hypertension or high blood pressure have to be constantly on medication. A better way is to get a cat as playing with it reduces the stress by a great deal and hence helps in reducing the blood pressure as well. Though you may still have to continue the prescribed medication, the dosage will definitely go down over a period of time.
• Help you get the required exercise – Playing with your cat will make you run around the house or bend down to look under chairs and tables and hence provide the necessary exercise. Exercising regularly helps in reducing stress drastically and the presence of a cat in your home will ensure that you do not miss exercising even for a single day.
• Social support – The presence of cats in a home increases the number of people we know as other cat lovers drop in to meet your cat. This increases your social circle and indirectly reduces stress as you get to speak to a wide variety of people on different subjects.
• Remove loneliness – Cats are there for you always, even when you are all alone in a house. Playing with them refreshes your mind and relaxes you in such a way that stress disappears. These are ideal companions, especially for people who live alone and away from their families.
• Require minimum effort – Hardly any effort is required to take care of a cat as they prefer to take care of themselves. You can ignore them when you are busy and talk to them when you feel like it and they will not show any displeasure. You just need to point out their box and they will not bother you if you do not want to be disturbed.
Hence, play with your cat to reduce stress and lead a long and healthy life. These creatures are extremely low maintenance and are capable enough to take care of themselves. The best part is that they are always there for you and provide unconditional love at all times.
