Health Benefits Of Owning A Cat

Owning a pet not only brings you enjoyment, the pet might also provide you with stress and anxiety relief as well. Many studies have been done about pets and how they have a positive health affect for those who own them.

While I do not claim to be an expert, having lived with and observed numerous pets throughout the past 25+ years. I wish to share what I have seen and experienced. Dogs, fish, rodents, snakes, and birds could be found in my home in varying combinations.. I will be writing about cats in particular and how I maximize the relaxation we provide each other.

For some reason I have grown quiet fond of cats. Perhaps it is their stubborn independence or self-sufficiency. Maybe the maintanace to enjoyment ratio has something to do with it. Possibly that hypnotizing purr sound they make. May be all of the above and more, either way cats have become my favorite furry friends.

Simply watching a cat is fascinating and a great stress reducer for me. I have found this to be very soothing as well. When my mind is focused on one of my cats and their activities all my worries and unpleasant thoughts are shut off. Even if the cat is asleep just looking at them is somehow comforting and their relaxed state seems to transfer over to me.

Studies have found that petting a cat can lower your heart rate and lead to a calm, tranquil state. I find this to be true, and wanting a fair exchange for the serenity my little companions provide me I wish to make sure they are equally pleased by my attention. The happier they seem, the more relaxed I become.

When petting my cats to calm them down first I keep my movements light and slow going along with the natural direction of their fur. Here are the a few signs I look for to know if my kitty is happy with how I am petting them.

While they are lying down:

• The movement of the tail is what I look for first. Unlike dogs who wag their tail when they are excited, cats may wag their tail when they are nervous. No tail movement while you are petting them will indicate they are very content. You can find your cat’s favorite locations to be petted just by watching how much their tail moves.
• As well as watching their tail I also look at their eyes. If they are closed or what I call sleepy eyes where they are partly open then the cat is feeling pretty safe.

While they are standing or sitting up:

• If they are enjoying the method of petting that you are using the cat will lean towards your hand.
• They tend to slink away if they are not into the attention at the time or do not like the location you are petting.

Certain times may prove better for petting your cat. If my cat is in self-maintenance mode I try to be as unobtrusive as possible until they are done and begin to get sleepy eyes. If you annoy them too much while they are cleaning then the cat will get up and move to a spot where they can resume without being bothered.

Once they are done with maintenance and satisfied that the spot they chose will be decent for a nap,  I will begin to pet them. I start off slowly and lightly petting with long movements the head, ears, along the chin and jaw, and upper chest and back.

Their relaxation is infectious for me. When the cat is asleep I will attempt to pet the “premium” spots such as the super soft belly fur. Cats usually hate anyone touching their stomachs and hind legs. You can get away with this you start at a spot they don’t mind as much. The trick is to only try a few times before focusing on a spot they enjoy again.

I also try not to focus on one small spot too long since cats seem to get over stimulated and can become angry if you do not stop once they are agitated. For this reason I limit how long I pet them then stop for a few minutes. The expression “too much of a good thing” comes to mind.

While I will place my cats on my chest or lap to pet them it is not a good idea to force them to stay for very long if they want to move. You do not want your cat to associate unpleasant experiences with being close to you.

You are having the time of your life doing your favorite activity when all of a sudden your leg itches. You wake up realizing that you were having a wonderful dream. For some reason though your leg still itches. You take a look and find the culprit. A flea! And to your horror the flea brought some friends. Your good dream is quickly becoming a nightmare.

If pets could talk they would probably agree flea infestation is no fun. For the comfort of you and your cat flea control will become a priority. Several choices are available to help combat these little pests. I have fought many gruesome battles with fleas in the past so I will share some tips based on what I found to work and not work so well.

• While flea collars are relatively cheap I found they really didn’t do much for me or my cats.
• Cats hate baths, if you have ever tried to bathe a cat by yourself you know how traumatic the event can be for your cat and how dangerous it can be for yourself. Flea shampoos will help kill all the fleas but they don’t keep them away for long. Your kitty will also smell like chemicals for a few days. I only use shampoos and baths in worst case scenarios.
• Keeping the spots your cat likes to sleep clean, such as a pet bed will help control the fleas. Vacuuming carpets frequently also helps keep the flea invasion at a minimum.
• Flea powders can be pretty messy and might help with the infestation for awhile. The fleas come back though.
• Flea “bombs” (the aerosol cans that you fumigate a room with) are a pain to use. You will have to close off that room for hours and relocate anything alive during that time. I found while the flea bombs do kill some fleas it will not kill all of them.

Playing with your kitty is not only entertaining for you but can be stimulating for them as well. There are many different options available. I find string and laser pointers have been the preferred toys of my cats.

When playing with my cats I avoid anything that can be harmful to them if swallowed since they like to chew on whatever they can catch. While older cats may not want to play as often, they still enjoy the thrill of the hunt if you can capture their attention. Kittens are ready to play anytime and will even find comical ways to entertain themselves if you do not play with them.

One thing you want to avoid when having some fun with your cat is being too rough. The more you “rough up” your cat while playing, the more aggressively they will respond. If they begin to bite your hand really hard or use their claws a stern NO will stop them usually. You do not want your cat to think rough play is acceptable or your hand is nothing but a sparring partner.

If you are purposely agitating the cat do not become upset when they fight back. They are just defending themselves in this case.

Building up a cats trust might take a little time and effort on your part. Once you are approved, the cat will become a great companion, a friend who is there to help take your mind off daily worries and stress.

After I win a cat over just having them chose to come sleep by me is a joy in itself... A soothing calm in a world of pressure and stress, one that makes me feel I did something right.

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