Cats attract people with their grace and perfection of form. These harmonious animals were not only attributed magical properties, but were also treated with great respect. In ancient Egypt, cats were sacred animals that scared away evil spirits. They were deified and classified as a select caste. The Egyptians believed that the souls of deceased loved ones moved into cats. Anyone who dared to offend a cat was subjected to terrible punishments.
Cats protected grain reserves from rodents, and according to one legend, after Queen Helena brought thousands of cats to Cyprus, these animals helped free the island from snakes. As a sign of gratitude, Cyprus is still called the Cat Island.
It is generally accepted that a cat appears in a house for a reason. According to modern magicians, we do not choose cats, but cats choose us. Well, a kitten or an adult animal picked up on the street will definitely bring prosperity and good luck to your home. If you are interested in how cats affect human health, we recommend reading this review.
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.
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.
Chapter 1. How cats help us cope with illnesses
1.1. Animal-assisted therapy is a system of treating humans through communication with animals.
It is known that cats are attracted to negative energy; they seem to absorb it. When any disturbances occur in our body or around us, it senses it and rushes to that place. The cat is designed in such a way that it needs this “recharging”. Each of us has observed how cats love to be near electrical appliances that emit negative electromagnetic waves. A person, on the contrary, in order to get rid of ailments, needs to remove negative energy. So, a cat is just a gift for him, a home healer.
Observations have shown that cats of black color “take on” negative energy twice as much as other colors. Cream ones tone up the owner’s energy. Redheads give off positive energy the most. Gray-blue - calming, neutralizing.
White cats , in general, are considered medicinal for all of the listed indicators (in England, white cats are sold in special pharmacies, where specialist animal therapists sell these cats as aspirin or other drugs)
It must be said that cats treat different diseases in different ways. Having found a sore spot, some lie down on it, trying to warm it up. Others, having released their claws like an acupuncturist’s needles, begin a kind of massage. As a rule, the therapeutic effect occurs at the first rumbling and purring sounds, which soothe and relax. At these moments, it is not advisable to push the cat away, but rather to switch gears and calm down. It will extinguish the “storm” of your body.
1.2.Scientific research into the healing abilities of cats.
Scientific studies have been conducted on the topic of the healing abilities of cats that have shocked scientists. It has been found that petting a cat for a few minutes normalizes a person's blood pressure and reduces the risk of recurrent stroke and heart attack. The condition of the patients after the experiments was similar to the state of health after a session of meditation and relaxation. Our skin is directly connected through nerve receptors to the brain. By petting a cat, we transmit signals to the brain through the skin of our fingers. We experience a feeling of relaxation and calm. When a cat or dog is caressed and the owner strokes its fur, this is nothing more than an electrostatic effect with weak currents.
All physiotherapy today is based on the impact of weak currents on us. So a cat is essentially a home physiotherapy device. And traditional Eastern medicine is precisely based on the connection between the nervous system and individual areas of the body and skin. And everything in our body is subordinated to the nervous system. And through it you can indirectly influence internal organs. And this is already real reflexology. I would like to note that by forcibly holding a cat next to you you will not get a therapeutic effect. There must be a close relationship of trust between the owner and the cat. And if at the same time the cat starts purring and shows that she likes to be with you, the effect increases several times. A cat's purring does not necessarily express the cat's emotions. It helps her self-medicate: heal wounds and strengthen bones. This conclusion was reached by North Carolina scientists who studied cat sounds. Scientists have suggested that purring is similar to ultrasound treatment. It was found that exposure to sounds in this range increases wound healing, bone growth and strengthening. If you have watched a cat, then remember the fact that after a fall, injury, and during childbirth, they purr. It is believed that in doing so they relieve pain and heal themselves. Wounded cats are known to purr while licking their wounds, which may be why they survive even after falling from tall buildings.
It has been found that communication with a cat has a beneficial effect on patients after severe injuries, suffering from mental disorders, cardiovascular diseases and strokes.
Recently, in the West, cats have been used to relieve stress and treat drug and alcohol addiction.
Long-term observations of doctors have shown that the biological impact of cats is stronger than that of cats. Cats are “better” at treating diseases of the nervous system and internal organs. Cats are excellent healers of osteochondrosis, radiculitis, and arthrosis.
Long-term observations of cats suggest the following fact: different breeds have their own area of healing.
For example: Long-haired cats (Persian, Angora, Siberian, Ragdoll, Burmese, etc.) are neurologists, help with insomnia, irritation and depression.
Shorthairs with plush fur (exotic, British, Scottish, Russian Blues, etc.) - “specialize” in cardiovascular diseases.
Cats of short-haired and hairless breeds (Siamese, Oriental, Sphynx, etc.) treat diseases of the liver, kidneys, gastritis, colitis.
At the Berlin Institute of Gerontology, a group of seven scientists conducted a study on the effect of cats on the life expectancy of their owners. Findings from this five-year study of more than 3,000 cat owners showed that people who have owned a cat throughout their lives live an average of 10.3 years longer than those who are cat-free. Pet owners have better blood pressure readings than the other half of humanity. And, what’s very strange, the level of cholesterol in the blood, one of the risk factors for heart attack, is lower.
According to gerontologists, cats are a real elixir of youth for their owners. At the same time, never forget that only a friendly, healthy cat can have a beneficial effect on your body.
Cat intuition
Cats have developed the gift of telepathy and foresight. Animals can sense natural disasters and impending danger. That is why they are full-fledged crew members on ships and submarines.
Experts in the field of bioenergy claim that cats capture and transform the negative energy of diseases. Eastern healers believe that when diseases occur, an energy imbalance occurs in the body. There are many known cases when, when a beloved owner was seriously ill, a cat left the house and the person recovered. According to statistics, cat breeders are 20% less likely to visit doctors.
While working hard to heal humans, cats often forget to take care of themselves and end up getting sick themselves. Therefore, in order for the furry doctor to regain his strength, it is necessary to give him rest and conduct preventive examinations and consultations with veterinarians, even if you do not see obvious signs of ill health.
You can give many examples and cases from life that prove the beneficial effects of furry healers on our body, watch videos about how cats affect human health. However, we should not forget that, first of all, cats are living beings that need affection, attention, and care.
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
Imitation cat
Ksenia’s study involved 20 people—10 boys and 10 girls—students. The experiment took place in a laboratory equipped with a special hardware and software complex with supplied electrodes, as well as a couch and a computer with headphones.
The purring range of cats varies from 20 to 150 Hz, and in each case they can choose the desired frequency. So, one is suitable for joint diseases, the other helps in healing fractures, and the third relieves pain.
“The subjects had their heart rate and blood pressure measured. For almost all of them, the upper figure was slightly higher than the norm. Then the participants in the experiment were put on headphones that sounded purring, and at the same time, photographs of friendly-looking cats were displayed on the computer monitor, says Ksenia. “After such purring sessions, the cardiogram changed, approaching the one that should be normal. Moreover, girls turned out to be more sensitive to cat therapy - their upper pressure dropped by an average of 7 units, while in young people it dropped by about 3.”
Pet Ax became one of the inspirations for Ksenia, but he himself has not yet participated in the research. Photo: From personal archive/ Ksenia Ryaskova
At the same time, the heart rate stabilized in all participants in the experiment.
“This experiment is aimed at tracking the physiological effect of a cat’s purring on the human body,” notes the young researcher. “And therefore the use of imitation cats is justified here.”
In an experiment with a real animal, a psycho-emotional component will appear in the body’s reaction. It depends on how the subject himself relates to cats - he has a weakness for them, or, on the contrary, does not like them.
Ksenia believes that cats themselves sense when a person needs “therapeutic services.” The range of their purring varies from 20 to 150 Hz, and in each case they can choose the desired frequency. So, one is suitable for joint diseases, the other helps in healing fractures, and the third relieves pain.
"Home psychotherapist"
More specific studies are likely to come. In the meantime, Ksenia has managed to scientifically prove that purring affects the overall functioning of the cardiovascular system. “In the future, we hope to create some kind of set of measures aimed at reducing stress,” the interlocutor shares her plans.
By the way, even doctors do not deny the healing properties of cats.
“Cat therapy, or feline therapy, cannot be called a newfangled hobby,” says psychotherapist, candidate of medical sciences Lada Butrina.
— Cats have been used to treat various diseases for several millennia. Firstly, low-frequency currents resulting from the friction of hairs against each other have a physiotherapeutic effect and have a beneficial effect on pain symptoms and inflammation. Secondly, purring is sound and ultrasonic waves of a certain frequency that have a calming effect on the nervous system. Thirdly, cats have a pleasant temperature of 38-39 °C, which is enough to warm the sore spot.
Low-frequency currents resulting from the friction of cat hairs against each other have a physiotherapeutic effect and have a beneficial effect on pain symptoms and inflammation.
Stressful situations in the modern world often lead to psychosomatic illnesses and dissatisfaction with life. And here the cat acts as a “home therapist.” But, as a doctor, I am inclined to consider a cat as nothing more than an additional pleasant procedure that in no way replaces a traditional trip to the doctor when health problems arise.”
