Design Your Life

Cats Are Good for your Health

06/27/2014

kitties

For those who don’t know, my life mascot and furry soul mate, Hobbes, passed away in early June. He was 17. It was completely heart shattering. I felt closer to him than anyone, having him near me for 17 years, a constant in my life and losing him was very tough.

I allowed myself time to mourn and fall apart for several days and then began to pick myself up the following. In the midst of this was my daughter’s birthday and other activities so to be a good mother I took maybe one to two days to completely grieve (alone) and nothing else.. the next few days I maintained a positive outlook for our children before they arrived back home.

The days following that we began to speak about whether we would want another pet and if it would be a dog or a cat.. David was eventually open that he would want another cat because his bond with Hobbes turned him into a full blown cat person. We waited until we could have a family meeting about the passing of Hobbes and if we would want another pet. We looked online the next whole night for babies to adopt and found a little Manx which looked like a relative of Hobbes. We adopted the next weekend and David named him Calvin in honor of his big brother. It took him maybe one eve before he was completely obsessed with David and I. He is crazy, kittenish and hyper half the time while snuggly, cuddly and a nap lover the other half. He is officially our new baby boy.

So what is it about cats that steal our hearts and soothe our souls? We all know petting our cats helps us relax and feel comforted like no one else, unconditional love and admiration for every pat, but did you know they can also detect your feelings and even medical emergencies such as seizures? That they lower blood pressure and instill a feeling of safety and security?

I’ve read about quite a few cats detecting seizures on the web these days and I know my own cat always knew when I was upset or sad as he would meow to me and lay on me for hours if needed. I read up about this and scientists don’t really understand much about it other than the cats are able to detect biochemical scents. Many cats even alert family if an owner is beginning to have a seizure. Did you know cat purrs encourage the mending of broken bones? Cats have also been known to wake and alert families of house fires while they sleep. Yes, cats can save lives AND improve your health and happiness. In fact, read 8 Benefits of Being a Cat Owner by Mental Floss.

Cat-Purr-Therapeutic-Infographic

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2 Comments

  • Reply Kelsea 06/27/2014 at 6:15 pm

    Sending lots and lots and lots of love. I can’t say I know the heartbreak of losing a cat, because, super-sadly, I am severely allergic. I was devastated when I found that out. I hope you’ve had some more time and space to grieve, since – it’s hard when you’re a mother. <3 Hugs!

    P.S. Have you seen JapanLA's kittens and ice cream dress? Thought you might like it. I just ordered one for myself. 🙂
    http://www.japanla.com/detail.php?design=5049

  • Reply Jamie Sucré 07/08/2014 at 3:43 pm

    Hobbes was such a great man! He was there for you through everything. Its difficult to say that about most humans! He will be missed dearly!

    Also, with the stuff i’ve been going through with my grandma’s health the past few weeks, i’ve noticed that any time I am visibly upset, Gidget has been there, right by my side, just staring at me. If i’m crying, it’s like she KNOWS, no matter where she is in the house. She will all of a sudden be there, rubbing against me. Cats definitely have a sense that we don’t. <3

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