The benefits to your health and wellbeing from the Cat Connection  (the benefits from the interaction between you and your cat) are many.

 

Some of the evidence supporting these health and wellbeing benefits is anecdotal, but research studies have been completed and papers published with the aim of providing ‘proof’ it works.

 

In the article ‘The Healing Power of the Human-Animal Connection’, author Margo A. Halm (www.ajcc.aaacnjournals.org ) completed a clinical review of the evidence (research study findings) supporting the health and wellbeing benefits of Pet Therapy (aka The Cat Connection). The outcome of this review found the interaction between animals and humans may “contribute to optimal healing environments that promote harmony of mind, body and spirit”. 

 

Some reported health and wellbeing benefits from the studies reviewed included:

• Reducing cardiovascular reactivity to stress (i.e. decreasing your heart rate & or blood pressure when you are ‘under stress’)

• Reducing pain levels

• Cardiovascular paients who owned a pet had an increased survival rate

 

The Research Centre for Human-Animal Interaction – RECHAI ( www.rechai.missouri.edu ) has completed many research programs into the benefits of the Human-Animal Interaction. When interviewing one of the researchers from RECHAI, Julie Rovner, in her article ‘Pet Therapy: How Animals and Humans Heal Each Other; (www.npr.org) reported the following health and wellbeing benefit from Pet Therapy: An increase in the levels of the hormone ‘oxytocin’ in humans. This hormone is responsible for making us feel ‘happy’; that is, contributing to decreasing our stress levels’.

 

At JUSTSIAMESE.COM, we have experienced these health and wellbeing benefits and believe a cat can save your life!