Cat owners may live longer (really!!)

18 years ago

NEW ORLEANS, Feb. 21 -- People who own cats have a lower risk of dying from a heart attack or other cardiovascular disease, including stroke, researchers suggested here.

"We found that people who do not own cats have a 40% higher risk of dying from a myocardial infarction than people who do keep cats as pets," said Adnan Qureshi, M.D., of the Minnesota Stroke Institute in Minneapolis, told attendees at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference.

GO KITTIES!!!

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Comments (16)

socks
18 years ago
Yeah!!!
jannie
18 years ago
My cat is sitting in my lap and purring!
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Normally, it's very hard to get an adult cat even in the door of a rescue group, due to long waiting lists, if they even do waiting lists. However, I think this is a perfect situation for a rescue group. It sounds terrible and cynical, but this is the kind of story they love to play up. The worse off the animal or the surrendering owner is, the more likely they are to take the animal in and promote it on t.v. or where ever they do their promotions. There's a shelter in my area that's big on this kind of thing. So, in this case, there's a high likely-hood of a shelter taking the cat in and finding a good home for the kitty. The benefit of going through a shelter is that they usually screen the adoptees, and do their best to make sure the pet goes to a good home. Flyers posted around can invite anyone, and believe me, you don't want this cat going to just anyone. "Just anyone" can include laboratories, people that want barn cats, etc. I was at a rescue event one day when a mother came in desperately wanting to take a kitten home with her right then and there. The group had a kitten that looked just like her kitten that got out and was run over by a car while the child was at a friend's. The mother wanted to replace the kitten before the child returned. Of course, the group said no way. So, you have to be careful. Good luck, and I hope the best for your friend. Sally
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I agree with the other posters...If I were you,I'd find a new vet! Why put up with one who shrugs off your concerns? Worms can be dangerous and even kill a cat.Outside cats are at the highest risk for them. Does the cat appear to have a "pot belly" appearance? A swollen-like tubby belly despite maybe a lean body? That is a sign of worms. Although not the only sign. Worms can also effect people! Roundworms in general.Take extra care when cleaning the litter box~wear gloves. My cat got a tapeworm once from fleas (they swallow a flea that has tape worm larve on it) He seemed to want to sleep more and eat more.Then he had these little rice-looking segments coming out of his rear.Two shots and they were gone though. Roundworms are different though.They wont come out unless they are being killed.Once given the medication,you will see dead ones in your cats stools if she indeed has them.
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Cats LOVE freshly turned ground, it is like a giant litter box for them, my mom couldn't keep her petunias because her cats kept digging them up, they also love her bird of paradise, and it is in the house, it is just a cats nature. I adopted a cat that was born in the wild, I tried to keep him inside, he would not so I started leaving him out, my neighbor came over one day and told me he had laid on one of her hostas and killed it, I immediatly brought him in, he cried and cried, about 2 months later I was staying at my moms and my husband accidently let him out, well he is not one of those people who will run a cat down to bring it back in, the next day when I got home he was curled up on our porch sick, it was Sunday and we live in a small area with no emergency vets, I took him in first thing Monday morning and he died in my arms in the waiting room. Poisoned. My 9 year old son (it was his cat) made me promise before I took him to bring him home no matter what. so here I am out in the yard with 2 bawling children (and myself) trying to bury Chrys, and of course all my neighbors are right there saying how awful it was, meanwhile the whole time in the back of my mind all I could think of was that one of those neighbors was responsible for this even though it was really our responsibility to keep our cat inside, one day later another neighbor who owned the mom to Chrys and had his brother came over crying, someone had poisoned the brother too, so there I was again burying another cat because she just could not do it. No more outdoor cats for me period. she has another outdoor cat that kills squirrls all the time, and I am forever going over there and disposing the bodies for her, just yesterday I was in my tulip garden and lo and behold, cat potty. but for some reason I cannot get worked up over it, I of course said a dirty word when I ran into it , but I would never think of doing something to someones pet because of it. there is about a 50 percent ratio of outside cat owners here, it aggravates me because they do not even try to keep them in (one was trying to go in and the owner just ever so gently pushed her back out and shut the door) when we was trying to do the right thing we got punished anyway. The main reason I don't mind all the outdoor cats is because we have NO MICE, that is worth it to me, but I will never claim another outdoor stray, if I even get caught feeding one it becomes my problem in the minds of my neighbors (they have to be watching me constantly, I swear!) I have had to haul 10 so far to my moms, I am so glad she has that nice big barn on her farm!
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phyllis__mn
18 years ago
I just knew there was a reason I kept Dudley around here!
paula_pa
18 years ago
I was much healthier when I had cats but then again, I was single and childless too. Life was much less stressful back then.
alisande
Original Author
18 years ago
Dudley definitely looks like a soothing influence!
User
18 years ago
Dudley looks like my Phoebe..I totally agree with that and find it interesting that it does not apply to dogs..No difference between dog owners and nonowners..
kacram
18 years ago
Yeah, they only say that because they haven't met MY **&^%$%#@ CAT! lol
clubm
18 years ago
I think having any type of pet is soothing. You just
gotta love those furbabies.
joyfulguy
18 years ago
Barn cats count?

One that folows you around, expects you to feed it ... but swats you if you go to pet it? Draws blood, too.

One is really affectionate, loves to have me scratch her ... but doesn't like to be picked up.

If one gets the idea that the weight of the world lies on one's shoulders, being sort of like God ...

... a cat'll disabuse one of that idea in a hurry.

To a dog - you're master, head of the pack.

To a cat - you're staff!

Get busy and get my supper - what's the matter with you?

ole joyful
joyfulguy
18 years ago
Barn cats count?

One that follows you around, expects you to feed it ... but swats you if you go to pet it? Draws blood, too.

One is really affectionate, loves to have me scratch her ... but doesn't like to be picked up.

If one gets the idea that the weight of the world lies on one's shoulders, being sort of like God ...

... a cat'll disabuse one of that idea in a hurry.

To a dog - you're master, head of the pack.

To a cat - you're staff!

Get busy and get my supper - what's the matter with you?

ole joyful
Eliza_ann_ca
18 years ago
Last evening after a full day of painting walls,I stretched out on the sofa to rest,and my two cats came and lay on top of me purring their little hearts out.
Yes!I believe they reduce stress big time.
organic_donna
18 years ago
joyfulguy,
It depends how you treat the cat. What you wrote does not describe my cats at all.
Donna
alisande
Original Author
18 years ago
I agree with Donna, Joyfulguy. I don't think your relationship with your barn cats is going to extend or enhance your life in any way.

I've cared for feral cats in my barn, including one that ran in terror if I got within ten feet of her. But I loved them, including her, and got considerable satisfaction and a sense of peace from knowing I gave them shelter, kept them warm, and filled their bellies. Perhaps if you start thinking of your cats in different terms . . .

Susan
notjannaz10
18 years ago
You don't live any longer, it just ***feels*** longer. Like a jail term.

Just kidding. We just adopted an 8-month old headed for the pound. She is a h--ler!

Jann
talley_sue_nyc
18 years ago
It's the "fingers on fiber" "touch" "warm bodies" stress-reduction thing.

Use cat owners pet our animals more, bcs they're smaller and will fit on our laps, usually smoother and more comforting to pet.
Happy_Go_Lucky_Gayle
18 years ago
My Mother's Nursing Home has 2 rescued cats kept in the courtyard. The Residents love to go to the courtyard to hold the cat's.

Of course, they also have 2 dogs, but they get to stay indoors.

Gayle

Cat owners may live longer (really!!)

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