Cats are our feline friends. They can also be a tonic for our mental health.
Cats have a reputation for being aloof. But my experience of cats is not that at all. One of my cats is a lap cat, enjoying the moment when he sits in my lap as I sit watching TV. The other doesn’t like that but loves to rub himself along my shins every time he sees me.
And they both adore being stroked and petted, almost as if they were dogs.
Whenever I play with or stroke my cats, I feel my whole being shuddering into a delightful feeling of self-worth and contentment. Suddenly all my cares melt away and I I am caught in the moment with my feline friends.
That has to be good for my mental health. Thinking about it, I can see 3 ways cats can contribute to good mental health:
Cats engender a sense of responsibility and purpose
When you bring cats into your life, you are automatically imposing a regimen on yourself. You have to feed them. You have to water them. You have to groom them. You have to administer flea and worm treatment. You have to take them to the vet for vaccinations and in case of ill health. You have to play with them and let the know they are loved.
This regimen can impose a sense of self-worth and purpose into your life. The inputs you give to your cats are hopefully repaid in outputs of love and affection.
As I write, one of my cats is curled up behind my screen keeping me company. It gives me a sense of fulfilment and self-worth. In the moment, I tousle his fur, and he purrs. My mind subsides into a deep happy bed of contentment.
Petting a cat can be therapy for the mind
When you stroke a cat, arguably all those negative thoughts you might have been having are lost in the moment.
The fur goes sleek, the cat purrs, and his cheek rubs lovingly against your hand. Stroking a cat can arguably be as good for you as any therapy session with a shrink.
Whenever I feel anxious or concerned, or am in the pits of my mind with worry, I seek out one of my cats and begin stroking them.
Suddenly I am all at one with the world, and all my worries subside as the purring starts.
The bottom line is that, if your cats love you, you will find that a two-way motorway of affection will inevitably follow. That can only serve to get all those positive chemicals in your brain to start firing and hopeful thoughts will inevitably shroud negative ones.
To that extent, cats are a living, breathing anti-depressant.
Cats can be an emotional support animal
In the US and the UK, dogs, cats, and other animals can qualify as emotional support animals. They are not service animals such as guide dogs, and they don’t have to have training. They qualify as emotional support animals simply by the fact that they are animals that give emotional support to people with mental or physical disabilities. As such, cats are demonstrably able to give emotional support to people with mental health difficulties.
So, if you are anxious, sad, or have depression, my recommendation is to think about acquiring a cat as an emotional support animal.
They will soak up your love like a sponge. And they will return it tenfold with purrs, licks, kisses and cheek rubs.
In the US emotional support animals have protected status in landlord and rental situations. So that is another reason to have one. If you are a renter with an emotional support animal, you should research the legal position with your landlord, because you might be surprised at what rights you have.
Purr of the century
One of my cats, ironically the smaller one, has an enormous purr. He uses it frequently, signaling his love for me and the fact that he enjoys being petted and wants more.
Every morning my larger cat, with the quieter purr, joins me in the bathroom and demands to be cuddled. Half-awake, I pick him up and cuddle him for ten minutes. He loves it. I love it.
When I get up in the morning, sometimes I feel sleepy, and perhaps a little maudlin. It’s a time of day when the gremlins can creep into my mental health thinking.
But when my cat sleeks into the bathroom and demands to be cuddled, I immediately feel a million dollars and all my mental health concerns melt away. It’s a mutual bargain. My cat feels loved and attended to. I feel as if my life has a joyous purpose.
That’s what cats can do for you.
They are a considerable boon to mental health.
And they teach you how to love and be loved.
Purr and Miaow…!
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