Cats were tamed many years ago, and since then they have lived side by side with humans. Before getting this animal, you need to find out what the harm and benefits of a cat are for humans. There are different opinions on this matter. Some even came up with superstitions about cats in the house. But even despite the possible harm, people do not stop loving their fluffiest little ball, which sits in their arms and purrs loudly.
How a cat treats its owner
It is well known that the cat treats the owner, is beneficial in the fight against pain, and even lies down on the affected area. At the same time, science does not yet recognize the fact that the animal “sees” or “feels” pain points, trying to “remove” extraneous sensations. However, it is obvious that due to the effects of temperature and the pleasant tactile sensations of stroking fur, the human body acquires the following benefits :
- blood flow is activated;
- heat acts as a natural heating pad with an optimal temperature;
- the cat acts like a warming agent for radiculitis and inflammation;
- There are also benefits from contact with a pet’s fur and claws: a person’s nerve endings are activated, which has a beneficial effect on neurons, and also normalizes blood pressure and heart rate.
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Thus, partial or even complete pain relief due to the influence of an animal has a certain scientific basis. However, it is impossible to force a cat to treat a person, since the animal simply will not lie down on a sore spot and will not stay nearby if it does not want to. Therefore, without full psychological contact between the owner and the pet, there will be no benefit from treatment. It is also important to understand that if the pet gets up from a sore spot, there is no need to forcibly hold it: it is better to wait until the next “session”.
Cat harm in the house
An animal with rabies is a threat to the health of the people around it.
These animals are carriers of dangerous diseases, some of which can infect humans. Among them:
- rabies;
- lichen;
- toxoplasmosis and other infections.
These fluffies can bring benefits and a lot of positive emotions. You just need to take some precautions.
The most terrible disease is rabies. For animals it is incurable. Therefore, it is necessary to get regular rabies vaccinations. The disease is contagious to humans. Ringworm is not a fatal disease, but it is unpleasant. People with weakened immune systems, as well as children, are mainly infected. A cat can get toxoplasmosis from eating poorly processed meat that contains parasites. After passing through the acute stage of the disease, the cat becomes a carrier of Toxoplasma for life. The main danger is for pregnant women. When this parasite enters the body of such girls, there is a risk of developing fetal pathologies. A miscarriage may occur.
It must be remembered that cats can be infected with helminths. People can also become infected. It is necessary to deworm cats according to a schedule. Some pets cause allergies. These animals may scratch during play or during aggression. Their claws contain many microbes that enter the bloodstream through a scratch. They cause the wound to fester or infection to spread.
Psychological benefits: how a cat lifts your mood
The positive psychological influence of a cat on its owner is intuitively clear and scientifically proven. People who keep these pets often say that they like the cat’s independent style of behavior, its ability to occupy itself independently, and then “unexpectedly” come and please its owner.
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Quite a lot of psychological research has been conducted on the benefits of cats for human health. It has become known that a pet, if there is full contact with a person, can become a constant source of pleasure and a kind of psychological release :
- Getting rid of unpleasant thoughts by switching attention, which brings benefits to the psychological state.
- Overcoming the effects of stress by playing with the cat, touching its fur while stroking it.
- Socialization of children who are lagging behind in mental development (for example, those suffering from Down syndrome). Communication with a cat makes it easier for a child to “enter” ordinary human society, which is of great benefit to children and their parents.
- Even an adult owner finds it interesting and pleasant to play with his cat and come up with unique exercises (with a ball and other toys). This is a good mood lifter and has benefits for relaxing the nervous system.
Mystic Guardian
Fans of mysticism believe that cats, by the very fact of their presence, “ennoble” the atmosphere of the house. In folk beliefs, it is believed that cats have a special relationship with the spirits of the house - brownies. They patronize tailed purrs, and therefore protect the house from troubles and unwanted guests. This is one of the reasons why the cat should be the first to enter a new home.
Parapsychologists adhere to a similar point of view, only the mechanism of a cat’s influence on the space of an apartment, from their point of view, is structured differently: it is assumed that cats feel the energy of surrounding objects and “clean” it, and can also neutralize the consequences of interaction with negative biofields. It is also believed that if the owner is sick, the cat can absorb the energy of the disease, thereby alleviating the person’s condition.
How a pet calms you down by purring
There are several reasons why a cat starts purring. The main one is the pet’s good mood, which encourages him to communicate with people. The cat happily allows itself to be petted, wants to lie down next to it and just be with its owner. Cats make sounds similar to purring when they are scared or when they are trying to warn a stranger that they are ready to attack.
There is a lot of convincing evidence that a cat's purring is beneficial for humans.:
- This sound creates an atmosphere of comfort in the home, similar to how people relax when they hear a cricket chirping or a crackling fire.
- The owner approaches his pet more confidently if he hears purring: as a result, such contact brings positive emotions and calms the person, forcing him to take his mind off unpleasant thoughts.
- The benefit of sounds is that these vibrations stimulate cell division, which leads to faster recovery from injuries.
- Finally, the frequency of the purring sounds roughly corresponds to the frequency of radiation from some physical therapy machines. Sounds tone muscles and activate blood flow, which benefits the entire body.
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Introduction
Why do people keep pets?
Psychologists have been asking this question for a long time. After all, we are of the same blood and many types of human behavior are based on animal behavior. They signal to us: “I love you, I really need you!” In addition, not being able to speak, animals are not able to criticize us, deceive us or flatter us, they always pay a person in pure coin, we understand and appreciate this. Thus, pet lovers are not rejected losers, not raging rich people and not deceived victims of parasites, but quite reasonable people who for some reason need love, friendship and encouragement more than others and use the company of animals to improve their physical and psychological condition.
Anyone who has had a cat knows that these creatures are capable of much... Even magic. They treat illnesses, calm children, kill snakes, drive away evil dogs and even detain robbers, and sing songs. Except they don't tell fairy tales.
How to “help the child’s immunity”?
First of all, you need to free yourself from the suggestions of advertising calling on parents to “strengthen” their children’s immunity. Remember that such advertising is based on the generation of natural feelings of parental anxiety and worry.
If you think that your child gets sick too often or often develops infectious complications, then first of all, show him to the pediatrician!
If the doctor believes that the child may actually have an immunodeficiency or a disease associated with a disorder of the immune system, he will prescribe the appropriate tests and studies and refer the baby for a consultation with an immunologist.
If no problems with immunity are identified, then parents need to learn that a child’s normally functioning immune system is capable of coping with a wide variety of pathogenic microorganisms. The vast majority of childhood diseases do not require any “stimulation” of the immune system. Colds, gastrointestinal viral infections, and other mild infections usually go away on their own within a few days. The immune system can cope with many bacterial infections, such as a runny nose or sore throat. But with a number of infectious diseases, the immune system really needs help. But not in the form of “immunostimulants”, in the form of the use of antibacterial or antiviral drugs that can alleviate the course of the disease and even save lives.
Features of the immune system in children
advises a medical pediatrician How to strengthen a child’s immunity - this is a question that worries every mother who is influenced by advertising from TV or the Internet, which frightens her every day that she and her baby simply need to purchase and use various medicines, vitamins, nutritional supplements, yoghurts, and other products that will instantly “strengthen” the child’s immunity. In this article we will look at how immune defense works in children, what affects it, and in which cases something needs to be done to “strengthen” it, and in which cases not.
Where can I get a healing cat?
In conclusion, I would like to say: cats can be used as a preventive measure against diseases and as a “pain reliever”, but in case of a serious illness, you must seek medical help from a doctor! But you and I are convinced that it won’t hurt to have a healing cat at home, who is always ready to help without an appointment and completely free of charge.
You can and should choose your treatment cat absolutely free All our cats are examined by a doctor, spayed/neutered and vaccinated according to age. Our volunteers will help you adopt a cat from the shelter and advise you on maintenance and care issues. All information is on our website. Call and come meet!
Who shouldn't have a cat?
If a patient believes that cat therapy is a fiction, it is better for him not to hope that the pet will come and relieve him of any ailment. Only a close relationship and mutual love between man and animal can work miracles and heal from the most serious and dangerous diseases. It is contraindicated for adults and children who are allergic to wool to come into contact with furry treats. However, even in such a situation, there is a way out - to get a hairless breed of sphinx. The main thing is to love, respect and appreciate your pet. The cat, feeling the sincere attitude of the owner towards him, will definitely reciprocate, but, in addition, he will help improve his health and cure him of a disturbing illness.
Cats and people
Surely you remember Rudyard Kipling's fairy tale “The Cat That Walked By Itself.” In it, animals, one after another, come to man, and man tames them. The last one to arrive is the cat. She catches mice and plays with the child - and for these skills she gets the best place by the fire and milk.
Oddly enough, this is approximately how it all happened - cats actually came to humans a little later than other domestic animals. This happened, according to scientists, at least ten thousand years ago, or even earlier, in Asia, from where the cat population gradually spread, scattered and dispersed to all other parts of the world.
Our cooperation with cats has always been mutually beneficial, and it began, as you might guess, with mice. Man mastered agriculture for a long time and gradually, but over time he learned to grow enough food to stock up. These supplies had to be stored, and barns arose, and lazy, well-fed house mice appeared in the barns.
And the cat came to the man with an offer that was impossible to refuse, because as a result, everyone won: the cat received for his use not just hunting grounds, but a real nature reserve, and the man got rid of annoying pests.
Much water has passed under the bridge since then, but the mousetrap instinct does not disappear in our pets, and the most respectable Barsik or Murzik, who has spent his entire life on pillows and in a nightmare has not seen a single rodent, is able to greatly surprise his family when he goes to the dacha for the first time.
Quite quickly, however, it became clear that the mutual benefit of a cat and a person may not be limited to prosaic mice. Because the cat turned out to have a lot of other talents.
How is the treatment carried out?
To help its person, the pet can come and lie down next to him.
There are no exact instructions for effective treatment for cats. Like a person, an animal may be in the mood for communication, or perhaps at this moment it does not want to contact the patient. However, often pets who love their owner come to him themselves, lie down next to him, climb into his arms, or even try to sit in front of the problem area in order to provide the most effective healing effect.
Spayed or neutered cats lose the ability to treat various diseases.
How many times do you get sick?
In reality, a child will suffer from colds quite often (normally up to 8-10 times a year until primary school age, and up to 4-5 times a year in secondary school). The high incidence is associated with the gradual development of the protective immune system and its successive “acquaintance” with various strains of viruses that cause colds. Only by “remembering” certain types of viruses, the immune system is able to effectively fight pathogens, preventing or mitigating the severity of the disease.
However, parents, sincerely wanting the best for their children, are constantly looking for means and ways to “strengthen the child’s immunity,” especially since advertising persistently suggests that this is really possible with the help of vitamins, nutritional supplements and “magic” yoghurts or drinks.
Children, immunity and colds
The vast majority of parents sincerely wish the best for their children and, above all, health. But the children still, as luck would have it, get sick all the time. And the most common illness among children is the common cold (ARI or ARVI), especially among those who attend a nursery or kindergarten. Such children can suffer up to 8-10 acute respiratory viral infections per year, and even more. Although colds, even frequent ones, rarely lead to serious complications, they certainly cause serious discomfort not only for the baby himself, but also for mom and dad, due to lack of sleep and forced absences from work or school. Since illnesses such as colds are so common in children before middle school age, there is no shortage of parents looking for ways to prevent high illnesses in children.
Brightening up loneliness
Loneliness is the scourge of the modern world, in which people become increasingly withdrawn into themselves, trust others less and less, and increasingly hide from life. And for a lonely person, a pet can become a real salvation, replacing the whole world and not allowing him to plunge into the quagmire of despondency.
Interaction with an animal, as already written above, harmonizes a person’s psycho-emotional state, compensates for the lack of affection and communication, and the need to take care of it does not allow one to withdraw into oneself and lose the desire to live on. After all, your pet will be lost without you, he has no one but you, and this means that you are needed, that is, you are no longer alone.
Young single people, of course, can get a dog. They are physically active and are able to provide her with regular walking, as well as proper attention on the street. For older people, this is often an unbearable burden, especially if they are inactive for health reasons.
For them, a cat will be the best choice, because you don’t need to walk with it, it is balanced, calm and self-sufficient. But at the same time, cats love communication, they are affectionate and willingly give people their warmth.
Lonely old people living next to cats feel much better, because they have someone to give them love and care. And cats, responding with tenderness and gratitude to their owners, thereby prolonging their lives and making them happier.
It’s no wonder that one of the most successful areas of therapy cat work is nursing homes. According to German gerontologists, elderly people who have a cat can sometimes live as much as 10 years longer than doctors predict.
Conclusion
A cat is the most domestic, most affectionate creature that creates comfort in both a large mansion and a small room. People who love these animals claim that they are perfection, exude peace, bring good luck, happiness, wealth, people become kinder and more tolerant. They know how to love, heal, save from loneliness, be devoted and faithful.
Love your cats, and they will return your love to you a hundredfold!
Maybe I won’t become a famous scientist, a rich banker or a politician, but I will definitely never walk past a freezing kitten or kick a sick dog, because in our family, raising children begins with raising the heart. Author: Yulia Kashaeva
References 1. Agafonychev, V. Animal therapy. Whiskers, paws, tail - our medicine. – M., 2003 2. Shinkarenko, O.V. Stealers of our hearts. – Dnepropetrovsk: Rainbow, 1993. 3. [Internet resource]: https://www.britishcat.ru/forumnew/showthread.php?t 4. [Internet resource]: https://www.bugaga.ru/interesting/1146719362- interesnye-fakty-o-koshkax-v-kartinkax.html
