The Psychological Benefits of Owning a Cat

BY ALLISON HUNTER-FREDERICK

Pets can bring us unconditional love and companionship. Here are five ways that cats can improve our psychological health.

STRESS

Interacting with a cat can lower our stress. Cornell University’s College of Veterinarian Medicine reported on a study that used university students as subjects and found that the students’ cortisol (stress) levels were decreased by petting a cat. Science has also shown that spending time with a cat can increase the production of serotonin, a chemical that boosts our positive feelings.

LONELINESS

Cats can reduce the feeling of loneliness by fulfilling our need for companionship. In a poll conducted in the United Kingdom in 2020, cat owners cited the following ways their cats reduced their loneliness: they petted and played with their cats, talked to their cats, saw their cats as family and prioritized their needs over their own, and believed that their cats knew how to cheer them up when they were sad.

SOCIALIZING

Owning a cat can help people with their relationships. Researchers surveyed nearly 2,700 men and women in four cities and reported that respondents said that being a pet owner was the third most common way that they would meet people in their neighborhoods. Pets make good icebreakers and give owners a shared interest to bond over.

SELF-ESTEEM

Studies are mixed as to whether cat owners have a higher self-esteem than those without. One report said that compared to dog owners, cat owners are more open to new experiences, but are also less outgoing and more dissatisfied. In contrast, another report said that cats can make people feel better after being rejected. The bottom line is that when our cats serve as an emotional support, they help us cope better with struggles, and thereby boost our self-esteem.

LOSS

Owning a cat can help people cope with the loss of a loved one. While one way to manage grief is to seek face-to-face support, for some people support from their cat is more readily available. It can be easier to work out one’s feelings with our cat because cats don’t judge but serve as a quiet presence.

Allison Hunter-Frederick is a Cat Behavior Consultant & Trainer. Learn more at allisonhelpscats.com.