Cat Therapy (Feline Therapy) is One of the Zootherapy Methods.

Research has shown that cat owners are 30% less likely to experience a heart attack. Can animals really cure diseases or is it just a placebo effect? We tell how treating cats affect our health from the point of view of evidence-based medicine.

What is cat therapy.

Cat therapy (feline therapy) is one of the zootherapy methods: prevention and treatment of diseases through direct contact and communication with a cat.

Animal therapy is actively practiced for the treatment of mental disorders. For example, autism in children, depression or bipolar disorder. The presence of a cat in the house relieves stress and fights chronic fatigue, and a soothing purr, akin to meditation or the sounds of nature, helps to fall into a deep sleep and even relieve physical pain.

For the first time, the fact that cats treat human diseases was talked about in antiquity. But official confirmation of the therapeutic effect appeared only in the middle of the last century: when specialists from the USA and Great Britain began to practice pet therapy sessions with cats in specialized clinics for people with developmental disabilities. And a group of scientists from the London Institute of Therapeutic Methods proved that the animal generates microcurrents that have a beneficial effect on patients with chronic inflammatory diseases.

How do cats heal people?

There is still no exact answer to how cats are treated. However, most scientists are inclined to the version that when communicating with a pet, a person produces the hormone of love and trust oxytocin: an active substance that reduces stress and general anxiety and affects the health of the cardiovascular and nervous system. A similar effect is noticeable after sports training or living memories of happy moments in life.

Less Obvious Therapeutic Properties:

Placebo effect.
The healing properties of a cat are widely replicated, so the owner may subconsciously believe in them. According to representatives of alternative (alternative) medicine, a cat absorbs negatively charged energy. According to some reports, she even eats it, and can treat serious illnesses, including oncology. However, there is no scientific evidence for this theory.
Vibration of a cat’s purr.
Scientists have proven that the effect of cat purring on the human body is similar to the effect of ultrasound treatment. It activates regenerative functions. When a cat purrs, its wounds and fractures heal faster. A similar effect can be seen in humans.
Heat exposure.
The average body temperature of a cat is 38-39 degrees, so the animal can be used as a heating pad. Especially in the treatment of inflamed joints. The cat feels the inflammatory process by changing the temperature in the area of the affected area. And since this is the warmest place, it lies on it.
Microcurrents.
Cat hair is a powerful generator of low-frequency currents. They are used in classical medicine to improve the blood supply to tissues in a separate area, and speed up the healing process of injuries. It can be assumed that the static electricity generated at the moment of stroking the wool has a beneficial effect on the recovery process after surgery or injury.
Emotions.
It is believed that cats feel the mood of the owners and are always there if one of them is sad. High sensitivity to human emotions is associated with the vomeronasal organ – the cat needs it to distinguish between the hormones of fear or joy by smell.

What is cat therapy.

Usually, feline therapy is used to relieve stress or reduce feelings of anxiety. However, in combination with drug therapy and the supervision of a doctor, cats are treated not only with nerves.

Below are the results of research conducted over the past decade.

Heart diseases.

According to research by the University of Minnesota (USA), cat owners are less likely to experience a heart attack, stroke, and other cardiovascular diseases.

The study lasted for 10 years, and its results were confirmed by other independent organizations. For example, a group of scientists from Los Angeles found a relationship between regular contact with a cat and a decrease in blood pressure and heart rate in humans.

Insomnia.

According to a survey of doctors at the Mayo Clinic, Arizona (USA), 41% of respondents confirm that co-sleeping with a pet gives a sense of security. And thanks to the soothing purr of a cat, the REM phase comes faster.

Depression.

Stroking a cat distracts from bad thoughts and helps you get through a hard day, researchers from the Mental Health Foundation and the HABRI Institute came to this conclusion. From 74 to 76% of respondents claim that regular contact with a cat normalizes the psycho-emotional state and calms the nerves. Moreover, there is a similar effect from watching videos with an animal. Although direct contact, other things being equal, is still more effective.

Feeling lonely.

A research group at the University of Vienna, together with the Konrad Lorenz Research Station, has debunked the myth of cat independence. According to scientists, cats are attached to the owner, able to show sincere kindness and sympathy. The results of the study are based on observation of feline behavior in 41 families. Scientists analyzed the behavior of pets during the day, and came to the conclusion that the animal is interested in communication no less than in eating, sleeping or active games.

Colleagues from the University of Oregon came to a similar opinion. However, both domestic cats and shelter animals participated in their experiment. According to their calculations, 50% of pets chose between food and contact with a person – a person.

Fractures, external injuries and pain syndrome.

According to scientists at the North Carolina Institute, a cat’s purr heals broken bones. In part, this explains why cats survive falling from a high floor.

The therapeutic effect is explained by the strength of the vibration. The cat purrs at a frequency of 25-150 Hz, which is perceived by the human body as ultrasound, and starts the regeneration processes.

Purring also helps reduce pain. According to adherents of Chinese medicine, vibrations “massage” areas that cannot be worked out with direct touch, and treat a person from clamps and internal spasms.

Prevention of allergies in children.

Children born in families that have a cat are protected from allergies and asthmatic manifestations in adulthood. This opinion is shared by researchers from the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

According to scientists, regular contact with a domestic cat at an early age triggers the production of antibodies. As a result, a person becomes immune to seasonal allergies, allergies to dust, dust mites and animal dander.

Autism and other mental disorders.

Scientists from the University of Missouri (USA) have proven that communication with animals improves the condition of patients with autism. Regular sessions of cat therapy can improve social skills and treat severe mood swings.

A similar effect was also noticed from contact with a dog, horse or dolphin – these animals are also called healers. However, they can frighten the patient with their size: especially when it comes to a person with mental disorders.

The influence of the breed and color of the cat on the effectiveness of treatment.

It cannot be said that a cat of a certain breed or color heals better or worse. It all depends on the nature of a particular animal and your attitude towards it: the closer and more trusting your connection, the greater the effect can be achieved. However, representatives of evidence-based and alternative medicine disagree on this issue.

According to adherents of alternative medicine, the pet should be home. At the same time, sterilized or castrated animals help worse. Traditional medicine does not agree with this statement. As evidence, the example of volunteer cats is given, which is brought to nursing homes or rehabilitation centers for people with developmental disabilities and problems of the musculoskeletal system. The main thing is that the animals are friendly and easily make contact with strangers. Best of all, toy beans, Persians, Sphynxes, Siberian and Angora breeds or Orientals cope with this task.

Another reason for controversy is the color of the animal. According to ancient Chinese practice, all diseases are divided into two groups: yin and yang. And the very nature of the disease is associated with a violation of the energy balance. According to experts in oriental medicine, a black cat relieves negative energy, a white cat helps with apathy, and a red cat brings positive emotions into the house. Scientific confirmation of these facts has not yet been found.

The right time for feline therapy.

The right time, like the right breed, also does not exist. The time and amount of communication is determined by the animal and the person, based on mutual desire. If the cat does not go to hand, it is impossible to force it. However, representatives of alternative therapies think differently.

According to Oriental medicine experts, the lungs and bronchi should be treated between 3 and 5 in the morning, the stomach and intestines – from 5 to 7 in the morning, and the heart – from 11 to 13. The presence of pathology in the body provokes an energy imbalance and charges it with negative energy, which the cat needs to recharge its vital resources. Therefore, she lays down on a sore spot. There is no scientific evidence for these facts either.

Who is contraindicated in cat therapy.

There are no special contraindications for a cat therapy session. The main thing is that a person does not have allergies and fear to take the animal in his arms.

Also, do not contact with the animal during the period of exacerbation of mania. Take, for example, a diagnosis of schizophrenia. Because, ultimately, the healing effect of contact with a pet is associated with mutual affection and tenderness for each other. And during the period of mania, human behavior can be uncontrollable and asocial.

Happy listening. 💖💖💖