So According to this study cat owners are 40% less likely to die from heart attacks than those who had no feline in their lives. Owning a dog did not appear to convey the same protection. Interesting ….
According to Psychology Today, research shows cats are very important for preventing death from heart attacks. “Results of a decade-long study suggest cats may have special health-sustaining qualities, which is probably no big surprise to Americans, who own more cats than dogs. For 10 years, Adnan Qureshi, professor of neurosurgery and neurology at the University of Minnesota, followed 4,500 people and in 2008 announced his study’s intriguing conclusions: “Those who owned a cat were 40% less likely to die from heart attacks than those who had no feline in their lives. Owning a dog did not appear to convey the same protection. That statistical result is so far unexplained, Qureshi says. Other factors may contribute to the difference.”
Children who have pets in their lives are more self confident and have better self esteem. According to Mayo Clinic oncologist Edward Creagan, “A pet is a medication without side effects that has so many benefits,” Creagan says. “I can’t always explain it myself, but for years now I’ve seen how instances of having a pet is like an effective drug. It really does help people.”
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