The Truth About Cats: They're Good For Us!, page 1

Greetings, ATS!

Found this little tidbit and thought I'd share. Of course, those of us who've lived with cats already know this:

Discovery News

News headlines over the past few years have linked cat ownership to everything from cancer to craziness, but new studies suggest that cats are actually beneficial to human health, and may even reduce our risk for cancer and other diseases

So maybe the crazy cat ladies have the right idea!

But wait.....here's a little twist....

The bond between cats and their owners turns out to be far more intense than imagined, especially for cat aficionado women and their affection reciprocating felines, suggests a new study.
Cats attach to humans, and particularly women, as social partners, and it's not just for the sake of obtaining food, according to the new research, which has been accepted for publication in the journal Behavioural Processes.
The study is the first to show in detail that the dynamics underlying cat-human relationships are nearly identical to human-only bonds, with cats sometimes even becoming a furry "child" in nurturing homes.

So....go home and hug your cat (or dog) today, and if you don't have a cat....the animal shelter has many available.

Enjoy!

reply to post by smyleegrl

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That's a fun, yet intriguing theory. Thanks for the sharing of it! I think I'll buy myself a dog soon.
Maybe a 300-pound hound, or something.

reply to post by smyleegrl

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Junior (cat) is climbing all over me as I write this.

We all just polished off some chicken breast and white rice.

One cat to feed yet. But the rice is all gone. Some chicken breast left.

reply to post by smyleegrl

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I think you are onto something here. I mean really, the little old ladies with dozens of cats seem to live forever!

I had a great aunt that was a "crazy cat lady" and she lived to be 93 years old. I can't ever remember her being in the hospital for anything or really ever being sick.

I have one inside cat; maybe I need to increase my herd of outside cats so I can live forever!

That was an interesting read! I have two black cats and they are awesome! I just love to open my door to find my treats of dead mice,birds,moles,rabbits,squirrels........ heehee www.healthguidance.org...

reply to post by smyleegrl

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I have three cats and they are like children to me.Two of my
cats will come running when I meow for them.These same two will
also obey me when I tell them to lay down at my naptime.The
other cat has been very spoiled by her daddy and she walks all
over him and my car.
I just had my car washed over the weekend.I drive a black station
wagon.This spoiled cat is small and white.I already have tiny paw prints
across the top of my hood.She also likes to do a little wiggle dance
around my tires.

reply to post by smyleegrl

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That is so true! I love my cats! What they give to me is priceless! I think that cats and dogs are better than humans as they are far more capable of giving unconditional and completely unselfish love. They are furry little angels sent here to help us on our journey.

reply to post by britelite1971

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You explained it so perfectly, far better than I ever could...

''They are furry little angels sent here to help us on our journey''

That made me want to cry actually...

reply to post by smyleegrl

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I'd have to whole hardily disagree with this OP. I can show you plenty of articles linking cat ownership to increased suicide rates… ummmmm...... here you go….

Cat litter box linked to increased Suicide rate

Little old cat women and people infatuated with cats are IMO more than likely suffering from a parasitic infestation of protozoan known as “Toxoplasma gondii”

Information on Toxoplasmosis

Behavioral changes in the host
The parasite itself can cause various effects on the host body, some of which are not fully understood.... The parasite has been found to have the ability to change the behaviour of its host: infected rats and mice are less fearful of cats—in fact, some of the infected rats seek out areas marked with cat urine. This effect is advantageous to the parasite, which is able to proliferate if a cat eats the infected rat and thereby becomes a carrier.

Actually I also heard a NPR program where they talked about parasites in general, and this was one of the ones they mentioned. They went on further to say that the parasite brainwashes the mouse/rat to think that the smell of cat urine is another mouse/rat “in heat”…. Anyway the article goes on to say

The findings of behavioral alteration in rats and mice have led some scientists to speculate that Toxoplasma may have similar effects in humans. Toxoplasma is one of a number of parasites that may alter their hosts' behaviors as a part of their life cycles. Some studies have linked latent toxoplasmosis to an increased incidence of traffic accidents.
The evidence for behavioral effects on humans is controversial. No prospective research has been done on the topic, e.g., testing people before and after infection to ensure the proposed behavior arises only afterwards. Although some researchers have found potentially important associations with Toxoplasma, the causal relationship, if any, is unknown, i.e., it is possible that these associations merely reflect factors that predispose certain types of people to infection. However, many of the neurobehavioral symptoms postulated to be due to toxoplasmosis correlate to the general function of dopamine in the human brain, and the fact that toxoplasma encodes the dopamine-synthesizing enzyme tyrosine hydroxylase makes it likely the neurobehavioral symptoms can result from infection.

But they do know pregnant women should not clean litter boxes or get scratched by cats because of this lil little guy.... SooOOooOOoooo… personally I’ll stick with dogs…

reply to post by FORMe2p00p0n

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Toxaplasmosis is only found in cats that consume animals already infected. My two babies are indoor only, no chance of contracting it.

Changing the litter box is still disgusting, mind you...

Glad to know you've got the dogs for fur therapy!

reply to post by smyleegrl

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Oh you must of missed the first paragraph...

Toxoplasmosis is a parasitic disease caused by the protozoan Toxoplasma gondii.[1] The parasite infects most genera of warm-blooded animals, including humans, but the primary host is the felid (cat) family. The parasite spreads by the ingestion of infected meat or the feces of an infected cat, or by vertical transmission from mother to fetus. A 2001 study found that direct contact with pet cats is probably a less common route of transmission to human hosts than contamination of hands with cat feces by touching the earth, and that "contact with infected raw meat is probably a more important cause of human infection in many countries".[2]

so its mother or mother's mother or mother's mother's mother... etc could have contracted it.... just saying... I know how you cat lovers can get all sensitive....BECAUSE OF THE PARASITE!!!!

MuHAHAhahahAHHAHah......

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