Tuesday, October 29 was National Cat Day!  Did you hug your cat today?  (Actually, that holiday – National Hug Your Cat Day –  will be celebrated on June 4, 2020.)

Cats are quirky, finicky, adorable and totally UNDENIABLE!!!  My disclaimer:  I love dog and I love cats. The ONLY reason we don’t have one … my husband and I are seriously allergic! 

Cats Like People! (Some People, Anyway) was reported by Rachel Nuwer for the Science Section of The New York Times, 24 October 2019.  Despite apparent aloofness, cats are social creatures capable of relationships with people, a new study suggests. BUT YOU KNEW THAT!!!

On 21 October 2019, researchers reported that cats are just as strongly bonded to us as dogs or infants, vindicating cat lovers across the land.  “I get that a lot – ‘Well, I knew that, I know that cats like to interact with me,’” said Kristyn Vitale, an animal behavior scientist at Oregon State University and lead author of the new study, published in Current Biology. “In science, you don’t know that until you test it.” 

“This idea that cats don’t really care about people or respond to them isn’t holding up,” Dr. Vitale said.  In a study in 2017, Dr. Vitale and her colleagues found that the majority of cats prefer interacting with a person over eating or playing with a toy. In a 2019 study, the researchers found that cats adjust their behavior according to how much attention a person gives them.  Other researchers have found that cats are sensitive to human emotion and mood, and that cats know their names.

Read more:  Cats Like People! (Some People, Anyway)

And more: 7 Scientifically Proven Health Benefits Of Being a Cat Owner was reported on GoodNet.org, 8 August 2018. 

They’re fluffy, independent, the internet’s in love with them, and there is scientific proof that having a furry roomate is actually all kinds of good for your health. Whether you live with a cuddly lap cat or a quiet introvert who loves their space, having a feline around you can be just as rewarding and benefitial as any other animal friendship.

1. 1. THEY CAN LOWER YOUR RISK OF HEART DISEASE  Studies have found that owning a cat can lower your stress levels, which in turn will have a knock-on effect on your risk of cardiovascular disease. Owning a cat can actually lower ones risk of various heart diseases, including stroke, by around 30 percent.
   2. THEIR PURRING HELPS TO HEAL BONES, TENDONS AND MUSCLES
   3. YOU’LL SLEEP BETTER Several studies in the UK have found that people (especially women) prefer to sleep with their cats over their partners, and they even report sleeping better with a cat than with a human bed companion.
   4. THEY’LL MAKE YOU MORE ATTRACTIVE (TO WOMEN) Research conducted by leading pet researcher Dr June Nicolls found that women were more likely to be attracted to men with pets with a whopping 90 percent of single women perceiving men with cats as nicer and more caring than those without.
   5. THEY REDUCE STRESS AND ANXIETY
   6. CATS MEAN FEWER ALLERGIES (FOR YOUR KIDS) In 2002, the National Institutes of Health released a study that found children under a year old who were exposed to a cat to be less likely to develop all kinds of allergies.
   7. EVEN JUST WATCHING CAT VIDEOS IS GOOD FOR YOU A study of over 7,000 people by Indiana University Bloomington found that watching cat videos on the internet boosts viewers’ energy and positive emotions while decreasing negative feelings.

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