# Cat Therapy



## Bellaciao (Oct 6, 2013)

I am not sure where to put this, so I figured that I would post it here. 

I have Fibromyalgia and have been off medication for several weeks (not by choice) and was not doing so well. While having lunch with my MIL last thursday, one of the feral cats that wander around her place left her 4 week old kitten by the door. Long story short, we adopted it that afternoon and while I was expecting my symptoms to get worse due to added stress, I got better!
I then did some research and found out that the purr can help a variety of medical problems. 

I am wondering if anybody else has ever experienced something like this? I am almost thinking if it were a good idea to adopt another kitten? lol


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## emilyatl (Sep 9, 2013)

There have been a lot of studies about cats affecting overall health. Cat owners typcially have much lower blood pressure, are less prone to heart disease, have lower stress and live longer than non-cat owners. Just petting a cat is very relaxing (to both you and the cat), and helps relieve anxiety. The sound of a cat purring is also very relaxing. Not to mention, they can be goofy and silly and make you laugh at their antics, and we all know that laughter is great for stress relief. Therapy dogs get a lot of recognition, but I think cats can be just as theraputic (if not more because they're less demanding)! 

I'm glad to hear your new kitty is helping you as much as you helped him!


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## Bellaciao (Oct 6, 2013)

Growing up I used to take around animals to hospitals, nursing homes, etc and was able to see first hand the benefits of animals with people. So a bit I was expecting. But to the extent that Moose (the kitty) has helped me was totally unexpected. I never realized that just the purr alone made so much of a difference!


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## gizmothecat (Jun 26, 2013)

I LOVE hearing a cat purrrrr . Gizmo does it all the time! Marshall has a very low purr..have to get real close to hear it...unless I'm feeding him then its louder and has chirps too!! Bonus!!!! I swear...it brightens up my mood instantly!


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## Yuki'sMum (Dec 3, 2012)

Oh I totally agree  I have dozed off many times with Yuki purring and kneading me lol. It's wonderfully soothing for both of us I think! Having Yuki really helped me when I lost my mum in the spring. She was extra snuggly and was glued to me so I knew she could tell I needed the extra TLC. 

A friend of mine has a very laid-back Bengal who is a registered therapy cat. He takes him around to extended care centres and seniors lodges and he's very popular there! Nothing like soft furry purry love 


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## tezster (Jun 4, 2013)

I'm actually surprised that no one has tried replicating the sensations of a purring cat into some type of a massaging/relaxation machine. Or maybe people have tried, but failed. I find both the sound of purring and the sensation/vibrations generated when my cat is on top of my body to be INCREDIBLY soothing. If any of you have a willing cat, place him/her 'sitting' with their belly on top of your lower leg, as close to your feet as possible while keeping the cat at a resting state. The vibrations transmitted to your feet and ankles is to die for. I once (and only once) was able to place both of my cats on each of my legs while they were purring. I thought I had gone to heaven.


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## BigDaveyL (Jun 26, 2012)

My Oreo will come over for some pets before I go to work and after I get home at night. She loves to purr and it's very relaxing.


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## cat owner again (Dec 14, 2012)

I am glad this helped you. Yes both dogs and cats are good therapy. Before my dog passed he visited my elderly mom in a home and it was really good for her.


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## gizmothecat (Jun 26, 2013)

Awww...I got gizmo to help with losing my mom too  and I have to say she is a blessing...such a good little cat...super affectionate, doesn't do anything bad...except chew my shoe laces and marshall what a joy he is...I am blessed! 

...and that kneeding...we call it making pizzas  she also does this....one of the things I missed when I only had dogs.


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## Yuki'sMum (Dec 3, 2012)

tezster said:


> I find both the sound of purring and the sensation/vibrations generated when my cat is on top of my body to be INCREDIBLY soothing.


If I lay on the couch with a blanket watching tv in the evening (which is pretty much every night lol) Yuki will give me a lovely kneading massage with loud purring. Then she'll settle down and lay on me  I love it! 




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## emilyatl (Sep 9, 2013)

I love the kneading too. One of mine sleeps nuzzled in my armpit every night and kneads (and sometime gets the blanket all wet from his drooling). When he finally falls asleep and stops purring, he starts snoring. It's so cute!


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## gizmothecat (Jun 26, 2013)

emilyatl said:


> I love the kneading too. One of mine sleeps nuzzled in my armpit every night and kneads (and sometime gets the blanket all wet from his drooling). When he finally falls asleep and stops purring, he starts snoring. It's so cute!


Awwwwww snoring kitty!!! Cute!


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## Jakiepoo (Jan 5, 2013)

The purring is also supposed to speed up the healing process in cats, and there have been some studies to point to the vibrations reducing pain in humans as well, so it's no wonder it's so soothing!


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## 10cats2dogs (Jun 16, 2013)

To me, there's no better sleep inducer, than the purring of a cat!!


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## snowy (Aug 23, 2012)

Ohhh...its nice hearing so many of you found your cats therapeutic. I never felt that way, maybe cos I compare ET with our fishes. I have all along found fishes to be very therapeutic and up till now still is. Having ET is more like a kinda responsibility and its also more like fulfilling that maternal instinct of having a pet to take care of. That aside though, ET does bring laughter, and its pretty amusing to watch the way he sleeps, plays. Other than that, its really just responsibility - cleaning his room daily, fixing meals, grooming him, clearing his litter box, even though I am dead tired and have trouble squatting now due to a knee problem.

Maybe partly cos ET doesn't purr as much, especially not in the day, never hear him purr in the day, no matter how much facial massage I give and how much he enjoyed it. He does purr in the night though when its time for bed, very soft purr, audible only when I go up close. Having him on my leg or even on my lap? impossible. Wanna cuddle him? even more impossible. The closest thing he allow is a nose butt, oh...that's already a bonus.

haha...and considering he is my 1st kitty, thats the kinda experience I get. I dunno whether to call myself lucky or unlucky, lol....anyway...whatever....no complains. He is good at letting me brush his teeth, clean his ears, not overly finicky, ohh...I suppose that's good enough.


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## Jakiepoo (Jan 5, 2013)

It was years before I heard our last girl purr. We got her as a kitten and she did all of her kitteny things, she grew up and she became very angry and reserved, and was not fond of people at all. It was like building up the trust from the very beginning and I don't think I ever heard her purr until she was 6 or 7, and I had been working with her every year up until then. She still got tired of petting, so I had to be wary, but by the end of it she felt comfortable enough to curl up in my closet as her final resting place before she passed away. 

Some cats just don't purr as much, some are motor boats  Jacob was a complete 180, all I do is look at him sometimes and he'll start purring.


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## ndiniz (Jun 29, 2009)

THERE is absolutely nothing more satisfying than being massaged to a point where you literally fall asleep to the sound of a purr. I absolutely LOVE that. My black cat who passed away a few years ago did that to me within a week of him getting used to me & my grandparents. Quite a loving cat. I also think that there's nothing funnier than seeing a cat tear through the house as if something spooked them!


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