If you’re reading this, chances are you’re a huge animal lover! We all know that pets are wonderful, sweet, amazing companions that enhance our lives in all aspects–including our own health! Here are some fun science-based facts about the benefits of having a cat and/or dog!
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Cats:
- They can lower risk of heart disease
- Studies have found that owning a cat can lower your stress levels, which in turn affects your risk of cardiovascular disease–they can lower your risk by around 30 percent!
- Purring helps to heal bones, muscles, and tendons.
- Cat purrs create vibrations at a frequency of 20-140 Hz. Studies have shown that frequencies in the 18-35 Hz range have a positive effect on joint mobility after injury, and there have been talks by scientists about how cat purring could help humans!
- They reduce stress and anxiety.
- Having cats around can trigger the release of calming chemicals in your body, lowering stress and anxiety levels!
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Dogs:
- They relieve stress and are good for your heart, literally.
- One study has found that playing with a dog or even just petting one almost immediately lowers blood pressure and heart rate, slows breathing, and relaxes muscle tension! So make sure to keep your pups toy basket full…it’ll benefit you too!
- The “American Journal of Cardiology” published research about a study of 369 heart attack patients one year after they were released from the hospital, comparing survival rates between pet owners and non-pet owners. The research concluded that the connection between humans and dogs reduces stress–a major cause of cardiovascular problems.
- Improved mental health.
- Dog owners are less likely to experience depression compared to non-pet owners. The interaction and love received from a dog can help uplift moods, and even just looking at your pet increases the amount of oxytocin, the “feel good” chemical, in the brain.
- You’re more resistant to allergies.
- While dog dander can be a trigger for people with allergies, children who grow up in a house with a dog are less likely to develop allergies throughout the course of their lives!
