Study Shows Cats Cut Human Risk of Heart Attack/Stroke by 30%

[NJCher]

Cats Help Shield Owners From Heart Attack
Study finds 30% risk reduction when felines are in the home
By E.J. Mundell

THURSDAY, Feb. 21 (HealthDay News) -- Whether it's a frisky kitten or a tubby tabby, a cat at home could cut your heart attack risk by almost a third, a new study suggests.The finding, from a 10-year study of more than 4,300 Americans, suggests that the stress relief pets provide humans is heart-healthy.

"For years we have known that psychological stress and anxiety are related to cardiovascular events, particularly heart attacks," noted study senior author Dr. Adnan Qureshi, executive director of the Minnesota Stroke Institute at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis.


snip

Cat owners "appeared to have a lower rate of dying from heart attacks" over 10 years of follow-up compared to feline-free folk, Qureshi said.

The magnitude of the effect -- a 30 percent reduction in heart attack risk -- "was a little bit surprising," he added. "We certainly expected an effect, because we thought that there was a biologically plausible mechanism at work. But the magnitude of the effect was hard to predict."



More:
http://health.usnews.com/usnews/health/healthday/080221/cats-help-shield-owners-from-heart-attack.htm



Cher

[TygrBright]

1. Oh, please... don't tell my cat about this...

...he's already certain he's The Most Important Being In The Universe.

heheheh....

kittehs RULE!

felinophilically,
Bright

[here_is_to_hope]

4. They remember we worshipped them once... n/t

[DesertFlower]

5. he can't be.

mine is. :toast:

[Warpy]

9. Cats are the only species that seems to like primates

Oh, I don't mean that can be domesticated, I mean they actually like us. There have been a lot of stories over the years of stray cats being adopted by other primates in zoos.

I know they're good company, always comforting and never judgmental.

[aquart]

22. No, I've met judgmental cats.

And some who were extremely strict.

[Warpy]

83. They all think we're completely nuts

but the affection is still there.

[ensho]

141. true and vindictive and bossy

my female smarti pants wants to be the alpha but I rule - she's frequently pissed at me and when younger would actually try to pee on me when I wouldn't do what she wanted. she suffered the consequences of that with a smirk. 8 lbs. of bossiness.

[lonestarnot]

125. Ugh I know one that was! LOL

Chased me up onto the hood of the car because he was jealous. Too funny.

[yardwork]

148. Don't dogs like humans, too?

I thought that dogs loved humans. Maybe dogs don't count, since they seem to like everything? No discrimination.

My cats, on the other hand, don't like all humans. One of them is miffed with me right now, as a matter of fact.

[comtec]

164. To a dog his/her owner is the pack alpha

and your family is his/her pack, that's all.
if you loose your alpha status to him/her ... then that's a bad thing.
No stories of cats going postal and trying to KILL their family. (they're too smart and just run away)
For the record I have always had cats, I love cats, I have a dog now also, and I love him too.
I think Alpha jumps in his eyes between me n my wife, but we're always the boss...and so is the cat (a Siamese/Burmese named Sushi)
The most important thing is that the dog knows s/he's NOT in charge.
If that's not clear, the dog will always be "badly" behaved , because s/he thinks they're in charge.

There are no such power issues with cats... they're ALWAYS in charge ;)

[Diclotican]

34. TygrBright

TygrBright

hehe, True.. My cat do believe it to, she _Know_ she is the most important being in the universe.. And I have to treat the little thing accordintly... But she is nice then...

Diclotican

Sorry my bad English, not my native language

[silverweb]

85. Diclotican...

... you're adorable.

I love you, your cat, and your country. :hug:

[Diclotican]

87. silverweb

silverweb

Thank you;) My cat are lying here on the floor now, and sleeping.. She is pregnant, so I guess that in two weeks time a couple of kitten will come out.. She is a cat who you can say come to me and have just been living here since. It is a friend who "Own" the little cat, but since he is never home the cat sort of "adoptive"" my as a surrogate owner.. And then I kind of take into here somehow.. She can be very, very nice when she need to be.. And she know how to treat humans so they are given what they want.. If it is food, some treat or some milk.... :)

Have you been to Norway since you love our country?..

Diclotican :toast: :hi: :grouphug:

Sorry my bad English, not my native language

[silverweb]

90. I have Norwiegan ancestry...

... but I have never left the North Amrican continent. I hope to visit before I die. Maybe it will happen.

I hope you find good homes for all the kittens and the mama is good to them all. Kittens reflect all that is good about humans.

:hug:

[Diclotican]

92. silverweb

silverweb

Okay, you have Norwegian ancestry some down the road.. Many here on DU who have that when it come to it:toast:

Hopefully you would manage to a little trip over the pound.. But it is pretty expensive here in Norway, compared to other places you may have been.. So a little warning, don't be shocked when you se what everything cost here.. And save a lot of money to the trip.. If you do it, it is wort it. Norway have some amazing nature if you just want to travel little outside the tourist road...

Yes I hope I can get good homes to the kittens when the time is coming. "my" cat have been pregnant before, and given a couple of kitten before. And she is a amazing mother to the kittens.. Very polite and give the young one some slack before she is "telling them the truth".

I believe the cat like my, and have liked my since first time I was seeing the cat;). She was with an another friend who was treating the dear cat bad, and she sort of bound to me, when I treat the cat with some love and understanding.. Now she is living as she want inside my house. Even that I am allergic to cats.. But I believe I survive.. Just to vacuum clean a lot. And try my best to brush the cat when I have the chance.. She like it if I just are doing it when she is in "cuddle" form..

A Small kitten are defenseless against what we can do with it. So it is best for us to treat the kitten as we would treat our own children. If we have been doing that the kitten would be given a present for the rest of their life I guess... That we Humans can be trustworthy, when it come ot it..

Diclotican

Sorry my bad English, not my native language

[silverweb]

121. Winning the lottery would help.

I am "poor" by most American standards, though I am comfortable and enjoy my life. There is just no money left over for being a tourist elsewhere. Fortunately, I live in a sunny place that most other people save money to visit.

If I ever manage to get enough money together to visit Norway, in order to honor ALL my ancestors I would also have to visit Germany, England, Ireland, Netherlands, Ukraine, and Hungary, to name a few.

Being a U.S.-born _mongrel_ is not easy and my kids are even worse _mutts_. :D

Sorry about your allergies. I have three cats, so I understand about having to vacuum a lot. I wish my cats would let me brush them. They love to cuddle, but they won't sit still to be brushed.

My children are grown and have their own lives, so my cats are my "children" now and I spoil them. :)


Hallo! from Mischief, Sable, and Silver!

[Diclotican]

136. silverweb

silverweb

Yeah, to win the lottery would absolutely help me to, when it come to travel abroad;).. If I ever struck it, I would sit in the sun, with nothing more than a good book, and some cold to drink for a whole week.. And then I might even sit there another week, just to be sure I am on Holiday::evilgrin:

As long as you are happy with your life, and don't starve, that is enough If you ask me.. I am not rich, by any means, but I can live, I can eat pretty well what I want.. And I have even a old rusty toyota in the front yard:P.. And I have a home I like, who are my "castle" even that it is not something big...

I se, it would cost a lot of money to travel to all the country you are listing up.. And compared to US dollar, the Euro is pretty expensive this days... So I understand very well that it Will cost you a lot.. If you ever get the Chance then...

YES, it is important to vacuum when you have cat.. Even just one cat.. And tree.. That is a lot of work, but much happiness to I guess;). A cat can be a nice animal when treated good enough I guess..

Nice cats you have.. It looks like your "children" have it good where they are and enjoy their life.. But the cat on the left have the cat hurt his eye, or it is just the picture?

I have no picture on the moment on my PC, but If I just find how to send a picture from my phone to the PC I would try to get a picture here. She is a lovely little animal:)

Diclotican

Sorry my bad English, not my native language

[silverweb]

145. No, she didn't hurt her eye.

The light is just reflecting off her right eye in that picture. She's 16.5 years old now, and the kittens (not hers) are about 14 months old.

I know how to email pictures from my phone, but I don't know if your phone is similar. You might try that if you have a "send" option when you look at the pictures. If you do, when it shows you the blank space for who to send it to, just put in your own email address.

[Diclotican]

146. silverweb

silverweb

Okay, nice to hear that your cat are no been harmed:).. That is pretty old for a cat isn't it, 16,5 year old.. My cat are between 4 and 5 year old. I am not sure... But I guess she are in prime age now. It looks like that when she walk around here;)

Good to know. It is a Ericsson phone (Mobile phone) And i guess it would be much the same anyway how you do it.. I believe I can use the Blue tooth (Blåtann) to USB port too, an antenna and then just send it to the PC... Shall try it out here.. My mobile phone is maybe not the new but it is still working well...

Thank you for your advice:)

Diclotican

[Kajsa]

96. Hejsan Diclotican,

Din katt är mycket lyckliga att ha dig.

Välkommen till DU.

:hi: :pals:

[Diclotican]

106. Kajsa

Kajsa

Takk, det tror jeg katten føler også;). O you can swedish?.. Nice, It its almost the same as Norwegian in many cases.. We can understand each other pretty well

:toast:

Diclotican

Sorry my bad English, not my native language

[Kajsa]

113. Yep, My family is from Sweden,

and my stepfather from Hungary.

I was born in the US but learned Swedish when I was seven.

I can understand Norwegian pretty well.

Hej då, har det så bra! :toast:

[Diclotican]

132. Kajsa

Kajsa

Ok, that sounds good, booth that your family are from Sweden, and that you have learned swedish when you was seven;). It is always good to lean another language you knowB-)

Norwegian Danish and Swedish are tree language that we understand.. Some danish have some problem with understand the difference between swedish and Norwegian then.. And it have happened that I have to say that I am from Norway, and not from Swedish... And the service have going up tree fold just there.. Denmark Sweden and Norway have some history between us you see.. And Sweden have not always been the nice part.. Norway and Denmark have been in union, for more than 450 year so we are like "family" even that we have our diferenses...

Det er bra du kan forstå norsk. Svenskt er ett språk jeg forstår ganske bra jeg også

Takk det samme, ha en flott dag:toast:

Diclotican

Sorry my bad English, not my native language

[Quantess]

135. Hej va sajer du?

Oh no, I'm embarrassing myself with bad Swedish of which I only know a little because both my parents are from Sweden. :hide:

Tomorrow morning I'm going to show your post to my mom and see what she has to say!

[Diclotican]

137. quantessd

quantessd

Well, I have read worse trying to speak some scandinavian from a american public:). So I guess you are not that bad when it come to it.. But if you don't use the language you very soon lost it you know.. So don't be sorry. I understand what you mean to say then;)

Cool, she may understand Norwegian well enough to understand what I say;): I guess she still are swedish in mind:P

Diclotican

Sorry my bad English, not my native language

[Art_from_Ark]

153. Hey, I can speak a little Norwegian, too

"Er ikke den senga nokså dårlig?"
"Nei, jeg kyøpte den for et år siden".
:hi:

[Diclotican]

160. Art_from_Ark

Art_from_Ark

Hehe, a little bed humor;). And you get it pretty right too;)

Many american with some ancestry back here in Norway, or Sweden and Denmark it looks like: Good

Diclotican

[Art_from_Ark]

161. Here's another one:

"Hva kostet en eske epler?"
"Ti krona esken."
"Da tar jeg en eske, takk."

Hvordan stor det til? :hi:

[Diclotican]

162. Art_from_Ark

Art_from_Ark

Hehe, good one;)

Jo, det står bra til;). :toast: Står det bra til med deg?

Diclotican

[Quantess]

156. LOL I forgot to show her your post but I'll show it to her 2morrow.

My parents thought it was more important for me to learn English, but also, I have older brothers and sisters who were born in Sweden who acted territorial about their right to speak Swedish.
I was an American, even though we all had the same parents. "You're not Swedish! We are, but you're not. You're American!" I'm the youngest, I was born in the USA, and so I was shut out of their little Svenska scene.

I am to this day afraid to try to speak Swedish. I understand a lot, but I only reply in English. Speaking Swedish would literally kill me.
Funny how I can express myself in Spanish or in a few German words, without feeling horribly self-conscious.

It's sort of sad that I have been to other places in Europe but not any Scandinavian countries. I still plan to go there someday.

[Diclotican]

159. quantessd

quantessd

I can understand your parents view of things too. It is important to learn the language in the country you should live in. Even if it means losing something.. But it can been done, to learn both language I guess:?. If I had emigrated to US, I would try to learn my kids some Norwegian, just for the sake of it.. Many who emigrated to US was in fact using Norwegian as their home language, even that it means that the kids was not the fastest English, speaking as the result.. But for the most part, in a generation or two, English, was the most important language in every peoples home I guess:

Little sad to hear that you was not part of the "swedish" mob in your home. Even that you was born in US, and therefore more american than them when it come to it;). They maybe was little jealous about the fact that you was american born?. And they was not?. Swedish are a nice language, if you just get around to learn it. I can not speak it, would not dear. But we understand each other very well, and I understand the speak, and writing as my own language. In the border line between Norway and Sweden it is possible more easy to understand what is says, then in Skåne, but for the most part Norwegian and swedish can understand each other perfectly in every part...

That is sad, if you don't try to use it, the little you do have learn would just past away. Everything we don't use, fall apart sometime down the road as you know. But good you understand swedish, and can replay in swedish;)..
The irony of life.. You can express yourself good in Spanish, and in German, but in swedish...

Okay.. You should try to do a trip to Scandinavia. It would be wort every penny of it. Even that it is costly.. If I have to say my two cent. We in Scandinavia (Denmark, Sweden and Norway) have been very Lucky when our lord painted and made the nature in the old days): We are maybe not blessed with tropical paradise, but what we have here is just truly amazing.. Sweden Denmark and Norway have to be blessed in some way I guess:think: And for the most part, you would be more than welcome. Even in Norway;).. We have a lot of jokes about swedish, but for the most part, the same joke are on the other side, and there it is Norwegian given the crap.. (svenskevitser). It is a more peacefully thing to do, then to go to war I guess:)

You have to give my regards to your mother. Jeg håper du har det bra der borte i USA, og håper at USA fremover vil bli ett mer "normalt" USA en det landet har vært de siste 8 årene.. Det er ikke mange som Hater USA, men de fleste her på utsiden, har en god del og si om BUSH.

A little Norwegian to your mother. Hope she understand it:): She would manage to translate it I guess:)

Diclotican

[TygrBright]

103. 's alright, Diclotican... I'm originally from Minnesota...

...so I speak pretty good pidgin Norski-- yahshuryoubetcha!

I think cats are also VERY good to have around during long cold winters, so I'm not surprised your cat is so important.

amiably,
Bright

[Diclotican]

107. TygrBright

TygrBright

Okay, Many Norwegian was traveling to Minnesota for settling down there. An many Norwegian-american are still in pretty good contact with norway, still after 3 or 4 generations..

and you can some pidgin norsk, good for you. Even that I dint understand what you tried to say with yahshuryoubetcha then. But it can be just me

Absolutely, a cat can be good to have around in cold winters.. Even that this winter have not been so cold... And it have not been that much snow either...

Diclotican

Sorry my bad English, not my native language

[TygrBright]

124. Diclotican, we can send you some snow!

We just got another ten centimeters in the last hour or two and it is not stopping!

"Yahshuryoubetcha" is a Minnesota Norwegian joke, not a *real* Norwegian joke. Even after several generations in Minnesota, many Minnesotans of Norwegian background still have their speech influenced by the cadences of Norsk-- in fact, so much so that even Minnesotans of NON-Norwegian descent (like me!) pick up the accent.

"Oh, yah..." we say, drawing it out like 'ja' (or do you spell it 'jah?') Or "Yah, sure..." Slow talkers. When we go East to places like New York we wonder why they are jabbering so fast. If you want to hear the Minnesota Norsk-influenced accent, watch the film "Fargo." They got it just right.

Anyway, I'm sorry for your not-much-snow winter! I'm sure the skiers are disappointed.

meteorologically,
Bright

[Diclotican]

133. TygrBright

TygrBright

Ah, that is a lot of snow in a hour;).. I guess here it is just some Cm with snow.... Boring when you are used to have snow in the winter:eyes: But we survive..

Cool. I know little about norwigian-minesota and they are verry proud over the fact that they have norwigian ancestery, and are doing their best to try to be as "norwigian" as posible.. In many cases they may BE more norwigian than we who are living in Norway today:evilgrin: And specially the older one are pretty good in holding tradition alive there.. like our Lutefisk and food like that:9 But it is nice to hear that after some generations even today many Minnesotans still have some Norwegian in the language.. it must be weird to hear american with a Norwegian accent in US?.. We spell YEH as JA.

We have in a population at 4.6 million no more than 3 official recognized language. And Bokmål who are the language who are the biggest language, even that Nynorsk people would denies that:evilgrin: Are maybe not the fastest language to speak out.. The fast speaking Norwegian today, are in Bergen, and the slowest speaking Norwegian are here on the Østlandet. Not that we are speaking very slow, but compared to Bergen we are not that fast.. I bet it have something with the dialect in Bergen (and Bergen was in fact the capital in the middle ages, before Oslo was coming up as the most important city late in the middle ages..

Have seen Fargo i believe.. I don't remember a lot about the movie.. But if I ever was finding the movie om an DVD or something I would try to get it and see it... I know that Fargo was a great movie when it was coming out... Even that it get some critic just because they have the "Norwegian" part some wrong:P. We can be very strict when it come to our language.. Even that if you ever visit us, you would be surprised to se how "English" speaking we have been... :evilfrown:

I don't know about my skies. For many year ago I was on a ski tour who was going sour.. And after I was coming home, and get a decent batch I and my skies was going back the outs-heed and I kind of cut the skies into small pieses... And that was the last time I was going on cross-country skies :evilgrin: But I like to go on Slalom then... Good sport, but my ankles are in some problems, so even that have been pros ponded the last couple of year:crazy: But I survive..

Diclotican

Sorry my bad English not my native language

[TygrBright]

147. Lutefisk is how you separate the real Norskis from the rest...

...in MN. I will happily eat lefse, especially with lingonberry jam, but I draw the line at lutefisk!

Yes, there are probably many Minnesotans of Norwegian ancestry who are "more Norski" than actual Norway citizens. The same thing is true of my Scottish-Irish background-- there are more American members of Clan Donald than the entire population of Scotland, I think.

I would not be surprised to visit Norway and find many English speakers. Your education system is something we can only envy here.

I can't slalom or alpine ski since I tore my knee apart many years ago, but I enjoy cross-country skiing if the mix of snow and cold are right. Here in Santa Fe where I live now everything is alpine because of all the mountains. There are some parks that have cross-country areas but they are not close. We do have some of the best alpine skiing anywhere in America just two hours' drive in Taos.

sub-arctically,
Bright

[Diclotican]

150. TygrBright

TygrBright

Hehe, proper made Lutefisk are a pretty good dinner, But I can understand why many draw the line at lutefisk.. It is a specially dinner and I guess it are to special for many... But we have some we call Smalahove. A dish made of a whole sheep head.. With Aye and the all. That are a dish I don't want to eat... That is to specially even for my taste...

Yes, many Norwegian-american are pretty proud of their ancestry, and many are maybe little more norsk than we who are here... And If I am not totally in the woods, they who are ancestors of the originally emigrants are in the 8 million liga.. When you think about it, in Norway it is almost 4,6 million all over the country..

Ok, it is more of Clan Donald then the entire population of Scotland... interesting if you thing about it?

We are learning English from 3 grade (when I was in school). Today I believe they are learning English from 2 grade, I am not sure, but I believe they are learning the language pretty early... And for the most part we do speak English pretty good. Even that we do have a "school-English" over it. Many Norwegian travel abroad, and learn a lot of English there too..

Well our school system are full of bad things, not perfect.. But I guess Norway have a good educational system when it come to it. If you read a Norwegian news paper you would believe the system are on the brink of collapse.. But it work... And we have a good educated population for the most part...

Bad for you knees.. Slalom or alpine ski ar pretty funny.. Even when it might can be little difficult.

Have never been friends with cross-country. Even that I have had my share of cross country anyway.. But I know my grandmother and grandfather loved it.. And I have some famous cross-country skiers in my family too.. I believe one of them even get a Olympic medal in 1952 when the winter olypiade was in Oslo...

Have heard about the alpine skiing in Taos and it should be pretty great sloops there If I am not totally wrong..

Diclotican

Sorry my bad English, not my native language

[yardwork]

149. Your English is just fine! Thank you for posting here!

I love your posting name too, TygrBright!

:hi:

[Thothmes]

43. Dogs have masters, Cats have a staff

[Diclotican]

89. Thothmes

Thothmes

You are SO RIGHT there... As my father always says.. When you own a Dog you are the god. When you own a CAT the CAT know it is a god and you just have to treat them as such.. And he should know it, he own 3 cats....
And I have to say, my own cat treat me with much more respect than the tree devils are treating him...

Diclotican

Sorry my bad English, not my native language

[lonestarnot]

126. I have one that demands his water be drawn into a glass pyrex dish from the RO

every morning when I'm making the coffee. And I do mean demands!

[Diclotican]

134. lonestarnot

lonestarnot

Cool... My cat is not that demanding.. But if she plan to go out, she can "speak" allot just to get my to take her out... And I mean if I am not there in few minutes she would CRIE as hell... But for the most part she tell me by subtle means, what she want.. And for the most part I do what she want.. And then everyone is happy.. But if she have decided she WANT milk... Then she just siting down and crie... And I understand it pretty fast, and for the most part she get her milk... Not mutch, just little enough to please the dam cat..

But she can be very cuddling if she want it.. If I am on my computer, she jumps up, and lie just between me and the keyboard.. So she have the full control over what I do.. And then it is just for me to go over to the sofa, with the cat and siting down and cuddle.. She like to be stroked gently over the stomage.. Specially now when she is pregmant... I can feel the little kitten inside. SO I guess it is not that far from the delivery now...

Diclotican

Sorry my bad English, not my native language

[lonestarnot]

154. :>)

Cats can talk. Yes they can.

[silverweb]

84. My cats already know.

:D

Kittehs RULE!

[roguevalley]

97. go here for cat fun: www.lolcat.com

[silverweb]

118. Oh, I've got that bookmarked!

Check this out: http://www.lolcatbible.com/index.php?title=Main_Page

[Patchuli]

128. Oh thank you soooooooooo much for that link!

I'm still laughing at the Hunter S. Thompson cats!!! Police in the mirror, bats up ahead! heheheeeee!!

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

2. I have 3 kitties, does that mean my risk is cut by 90%? Neat study! :)

[Lorien]

I know it works for me!

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

37. OMG! They are beautiful!

[Lorien]

100. Aww, thanks! You have a gorgeous threesome yourself!

:loveya:

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

114. Thank you! I have to run in to the kitchen. They are being militant about wanting dinner! :)

:hug:

[Le Taz Hot]

48. Poor little abused darlings . . .

so insecure. ;)

[bdamomma]

55. aww, I want to come back as a cat, what beautiful kitties.

meowwwwwwwwwwww

[leftynyc]

78. Ohhh - those are three beauties

And my two long haired tuxedoes sleep the same way as your gray one.

[Lorien]

99. Maybe it's a long haired cat thing? He's ALWAYS in that pose!

I've seen that most other Maine Coons always strike the same pose:









Do yours sleep with their eyes open? Mine usually does. Weird!

[yellowdogintexas]

117. my favorite kitty how is old Oberon these days, anyway? And Puck, of course

our boys are all fine and dandy

[Lorien]

119. Oberon will turn five next month

Puck is four, Miro (the tuxedo) has crossed the rainbow bridge, and I now have an eight month old Turk named Pippin:



He's so NAUGHTY, but I love him anyway.

Glad to hear that your boys are doing well! Oberon still has the snuffles from the corona virus, but he's a tough guy, so I'm sure he'll stay clear of FIP.

[eppur_se_muova]

91. Obviously, these cats are role models for anyone needing to relax!

Did I say role models? Heck, they've reached heroic stature and are approaching godhood!

[Lorien]

101. Lol! Yes indeed.

Actually, the photo is of them crashed out on the guest bed, which is in my studio where I work all day. It's TOUGH to feel energetic at keep my nose to the grindstone while such models of relaxation are gently snoring behind me!

[silverweb]

123. Now THAT is trust!

You could go rub their bellies and they'd purr instead of jumping to "alert" status. They're like my own three.

What a beautiful sight. :)

[Quantess]

138. Cats always want to be on YOUR bed, where YOU sleep.

If you are away, they want to sleep where you sleep. If you are asleep, they try to sleep on or next to your face.

[Lorien]

140. Lol! Well, that's THEIR bed

it's in my guest bedroom. No room for a human there!Especially with Oberon and Miro there. Puck (the cat at the top) is an average 9-10 pound feline. Miro was a jumbo sized 19 pound feline ottoman, and Oberon is an enormous Maine Coon.

But yeah, my kitten Pip akways tries to scooch me off of my pillow, and I always end up sleeping on the other side of the bed. They figure that if we want it, it must be the best!

[Quantess]

158. Oberon is a great name for a Maine Coon.

When I lived in San Francisco I adopted a kitten... a product of incest between brother cat and sister cat, which were half maine coon. Then I got evicted (it was 2001 in San Francisco, remember those bad times in SF) so I gave the giant cross eyed kitten to my best friend. But now Brownie is a humongous, hulking, beast of a loving cat. And Brownie lives in Portland now, too!

[SoCalDem]

17. we have 8.. I'm home free..

:)

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

93. Until this past October, the most cats I ever had at one time were two.

Then Jack (the black kitty)found his way to our doorstep and never left.

I love having 3 kitties and mealtime never fails to make me smile. They all gather in the kitchen (before me) and if I don't get there fast enough, they send out a scout to see what I'm up to. Then just watching them line up with their heads down and their tails switching... :D

I can just imagine how cute 8 are!

[and-justice-for-all]

39. We also have drei katzen...nt

[TommyO]

52. That was my first thought as well

I should be darned-near heart attack proof given my three kittehs.

[here_is_to_hope]

3. Yeah, I find that beating my

cats eases my stress load.:sarcasm:

[drmeow]

6. I'd get excited by this except

one of my cats is sitting on my lap and I'm just too calm (besides I might disturb him) :)

[Skittles]

7. unless it's the hairy devil Riff Raff

who GIVES me heart attacks daily :o

[Patchuli]

10. What a gorgeous tux!

I have two and I love them! I'm such a dork, I belong to a tuxedo cat mail group....heheee

[Skittles]

11. he's just a very, very bad cat

latest stunt: I moved on Dec 10 and he disappeared Jan 5 - and lived in a storm drain for 17 days until it rained and his hairy face popped up in a window, BEGGING to be let in. Riff Raff is quite the handful - when I first saw him he was an injured, stray, hungry kitten but I STILL could not catch him - after months of trying I had to order a feral trap over the internet - that's how I got him, going on three years ago now.....but, I just adore the little hairy tux. :D

[Patchuli]

129. I'm surprised he doesn't want to be spoiled

Ferals are tough but they can be spoiled into very loving kittehs!

[MercutioATC]

8. What if you don't really like your cat?

I got him forced on me. He drools like a St. Bernard, meows constantly, and...well..barks.

He's pretty much a very fat abomination.

Do I still get the benefits?

[Skittles]

12. you're a kind hearted person for keeping him

and that must be good for the heart :)

[MercutioATC]

15. He used to live with my ex...and she's not good with pets.

She likes getting pets, she just doesn't like keeping them.

He was a rescue adoption (by me, for the kids) 5 years ago and the alternative was him going to the APL.


...so, I'm stuck with this freak of nature...

[Skittles]

18. if there is such a thing as heaven

I believe people who rescue animals get automatic entrance :D

[MercutioATC]

19. Believe me, if there's a heaven, I have plenty of other exclusions :)

...the first being, I suppose, my whole athiest thing :)

...but I appreciate your sentiment.

[Skittles]

20. I'm actually Agnostic / Atheist depending on what day it is

that explains the "if" :D

[aquart]

23. Get him a cat of his own.

It will reduce his demands on you.

[MercutioATC]

29. Ah god, no...

I'm comfortable with the only two living things in my house being my son and myself...I don't even have plants.

I "inherited" the cat a few years ago and she had the kids get me a fish for my birthday a few months ago...one cat and one fish are two too many life forms in this house.

[aquart]

35. I promise you, two are so much easier than one.

The only reason I have one cat now is his belief that other cats are mice. MUCH easier with two. Far fewer behavioral and health problems. Cat wouldn't eat so much if it had to chase a kitten.

[Matariki]

13. My cat ran in here, jumped on my lap and is purring like mad

Just as I started reading this post. I think he approves.

Oh noes, he's hitting the rec button aksdaak g Gkgz

[Kitty Herder]

28. My cat did the same thing! nt

[The Doctor.]

32. My wife's Dacshund "Gir" does stuff like that often.

Really... it's amazing how high he jumps.

[Matariki]

14. that rec was from toshiro

[Warren DeMontague]

16. Yes, but you lose the benefits if you deep fry them instead of steaming them.

Okay, okay, it was a joke! :hide:

[Matariki]

21. Showing off the cats

[aquart]

24. Tuxedo and blue point?

Lovely. My Taxi was a tuxedo. Only cat I ever met with a religion.

[Matariki]

25. A specific religion?

Mine is a voodoo cat. And the Siamese is a little zombie. Cute and smart but a zombie monster for certain ;-)

[aquart]

33. Worshipped light and fire. Could not light a candle.

He kept singeing his whiskers. Tried to walk into my mom's fireplace when it was lit. Stared for hours at a dangling naked lightbulb in my kitchen. When I held him up to it, he tried so delicately, so carefully, to cup it in his paws...then they flew apart when he felt the heat.

[Princess Turandot]

26. Sasha sends non-cat owners some vicarious cyber-cardiac therapy:

Meow!

[Matariki]

27. Sweet!

Love that white stripe up her nose!

[Princess Turandot]

30. Thanks..

She's a rescued snowshoe.. they are siamese cats with white mittens and socks at the ends of the paw points. They can have the face marking as well. Hers looks like an upside down question mark. :)

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

41. Awwwww. i had a kittie named Sasha. She lived to 17 and is still missed. Meet Amy, Charlie and Jack!

They're political pussies. :)

[The Doctor.]

31. I try to have some cat at least once a week.

It's usually right after the day I have fish... never figured out why that is.

[indepat]

36. My little pud was in my lap purring and licking my hand as I read this

at 4:10am. :D

[Summer93]

38. No-No Joan

The only cat I've had was brought to me by my eight year old son. He found him by the side of the road by a pillowcase that had been thrown from a car. My son said to me can you keep it alive. I did and there were many stories after that. This cat didn't know that he was a cat as the other animal I had at the time was a dog. It was so funny watching the cat join in the other dogs with dog behavior. The first time he saw another cat he ran up the side of the house looking very scared. He was named No-No Joan after a book by that name. He would come when he was called, go on walks with us through the woods, loved being up high and trying to catch snow flakes. After sixteen years he went out into the woods.

[Heidi]

40. The Wiley and Excellent Boy Cat Named Ginger recommends this thread.

:kick:

[mainer]

42. Except cats may lead to increased rate of schizophrenia

Someone just forwarded a link to me from the Journal of Psychiatry. Infection with toxoplasmosis gondii (which cats carry) seems to cause an 25% increase in development of schizophrenia. It may be that Toxo infection activates a latent gene for it. (And please, no crazy cat lady jokes.)

[Donnachaidh]

54. a good way to avoid the toxo is to keep the litter pan CLEAN

Or get your cats to do their business outside. We finally splurged and got the Littermaid electrical pan, and it's simplified the cleaning process. And even after a few months, it still holds an entertainment value for the furbabies.

[elehhhhna]

44. Cats Cut Human Risk of Heart Attack/Stroke by 30% : Eat one a day!

just kidding,

catmom of three

[lynnertic]

45. And if we treated each other with the regard that we do our pets,

imagine the effect THAT would have on your health.

Now my elderly neighbor chasing me down for a brushing is not exactly what I am thinking, it's something more along the lines of: if having somebody to love, even a cat, cuts a risk of deadly heart attack by 30% how nice would it be if it was OK and fashionable to care for each other.

There'd be a lot less loneliness in this world jammed so full of people.

[Reader Rabbit]

46. My cat is in my lap right now, so I thanked her.

But she didn't seem to care very much.

:shrug:

[Snarkturian Clone]

47. IF this study is true,

and I say if because I suspect all "studies", it's a good thing that I have 2 cats (Bob Mowberg and K'Ehleyr) because my blood pressure is high as fuck.

[Echo In Light]

49. Ha! We have "tubby tabby," and a sleek one. Kitters are great

[Le Taz Hot]

50. Well, we currently have 7 that are actually ours,

1 that is visiting, 1 that THINKS he lives at my house and 2 of the darlingest little kittens that just showed up out of nowhere -- both wild as can be. We may live forever. B-)

[smoogatz]

51. Well, there you go.

George (the cat, not the president) is good for something after all. But he'd relieve a lot more of my stress if he'd catch a few mice around here.

[Brewman_Jax]

53. This little guy helps my BP

[distantearlywarning]

56. Cool article. Thanks for posting it!

Now, of course it's a correlational study, so we still can't say for sure what actually caused the effect (for instance, what if people who are inclined to own cats are already less stressed sorts of people, or maybe toxoplasmosis infection has the added benefit of increasing coronary health or something...)

Regardless, I'm inclined to support the author's hypothesis that interacting with an animal daily in a positive way improves health in a variety of ways. I personally believe that my mild and chronic depression that I've had for years eased significantly after my household acquired a pair of kittens last summer. I have a blog, and I can tell looking back over my blog entries before and after their arrival that my writing and topic choices became more optimistic and positive after they came to live with us. Something about their zest for life and openness/willingness to love unconditionally has rubbed off on me over time and thawed my sad little heart. Honestly, they've been better for me than therapy ever was (and a lot cheaper!)

I think it's a little sad that in this country we often assume animals have no tangible value in society, or make fun of people for having intense emotional relationships with them (e.g., being devastated when an animal dies, carrying pictures of your dog aroudn in your wallet and so forth). And when's the last time you heard of a doctor prescribing a kitten instead of statins for someone with high blood pressure? :shrug:

On Edit:

Tybalt & Paris liked this thread so much they recommended it...

[ThomWV]

57. What a conicidence! It turns out that Dogs increase Cats chance of heart attack/stroke by 30% too

[Suziq]

58. My Emily

is definitely keeping me heart attack free! Look at that face! :-)

[malaise]

59. Sure works for me but it didn't work

for hubby. If only he really liked cats rather than tolerate them.
I just called him on his cell. He is not amused and said too remember he was genetically predisposed to having a heart attack since both his dad and grandpa had theirs at exactly the same age as he did. On the other hand no one in my family ever had a heart attack.

Here kitty kitty!

[LWolf]

60. I'm not surprised.

Of course, I love my cat, even though she can be bossy.

When I am stressed in any way, she spends as much time as possible in direct contact, purring away. She sleeps on my lap, or my hip, all night long and gets irritable if I move around in my sleep. She is sure that the warm weight of a purring cat will release whatever stress or tension I'm experiencing, and she's probably right.

One stressful incident last week: I stopped at the grocery store on the way home from work because I was out of cat food. A serious situation. I'd been at work for 10 hours, I was tired, and I blearily stood in line, loaded the bags into the truck, and limped home. I unloaded everything, put it all away, fed the horses and chickens and sheep, and made a peanut butter sandwich for dinner. I was sitting, exhausted, at the kitchen table when I felt a "presence." Sure enough, there was the cat, sitting in the doorway, giving me the "look." I realized that I'd gotten everything BUT the cat food I went to the store to get. Talk about stress! The "look" was unmistakeable. I dug around in the pantry and came up with a can of tuna, which saved my bacon at that moment, and then frantically called my son and asked him to bring some cat food by on his way home from the late shift at work.

There isn't a human on the face of the earth that gets that kind of reaction from me. One look from the cat, and I'm toast.

[bdamomma]

61. I believe just having them sit on your lap decreases your blood pressure

they have such a soothing effect. I love my cat which I took in as a stray, some 5 years ago.

[raccoon]

62. Which is why EVERYBODY should have a cat!

If you're allergic to cats, I'll give you a pass on that. :-)

Do insurance companies give you a lower premium if you're a cat owner?

Before yall answer, I will: Hell, no.

[ProfessorGAC]

63. We Have 5! Is That Enough?

Geez, my wife and i should live stroke free, FOREVER!
The Professor

[raccoon]

64. You both should live to be at least 100. nt

[FreepFryer]

66. I'm sorry but I can't afford to eat that many cats just to reduce my heart attack risk.

Oh, wait... you mean keep them as 'pets'? Oh, that's different.

Never mind!

[ProfessorGAC]

67. Keep Them As Pets????

Boy, did i misunderstand the OP! :evilgrin:

Honey, put away that cat cook book!
The Professor

[Lorien]

102. No, if you're allergic to cats, then get a Siberian!

Siberian cats lack the protein that causes histamine reactions. Naturally hypoallergenic cats!









(edited to include pics of the breed)

[mondo joe]

65. But death by tripping increases by 70%.

I'm pretty sure.

[ProfessorGAC]

68. No. No More Than 62%.

Quit exagerrating! BTW: I tripped over one the kittens a few months back and hit my chin on the fireplace. Since that happened right after my wife got out of the hospital, i didn't want to go to the ER. So, now i have a permament scar on my chin.

So, i know of what you speak!
The Professor

[mondo joe]

70. I swear the one that thinks I'm hers is out to kill me, weaving between my ankles -

especially during bathroom visits at night.

[ProfessorGAC]

71. Same Here

The two kittens are glued to me. (Well, they're almost 10 months old, so they're pretty close to full grown.)

I CANNOT go to the bathroom without Bernadette following me. At least Pandora lets me do that by myself. But, she cannot sleep at night without being on my chest. (Not kidding. I can count on one hand the number of times i slept through the night without that cat on my chest since July.)

Take care of your little beasties.
GAC

[Blue_Roses]

69. I can believe this...

:D

[Dorian Gray]

72. So my kitty

ISN'T a good for nothing kitty?

:)

[ProfessorGAC]

74. Apparently Not

And here i've been telling our cats that they're worthless and weak all these years! Well, i can still tell the dog that, i guess.
The Professor

[jberryhill]

73. Great News! Got Any Good Recipes For Them?

I'm definitely going to increase the amount of cat in my diet.

I had been boiling them, since it's easier to get the fur off, but I'm wondering if anyone has tried roasting them or frying them in canola oil.

[slor]

75. That is funny...

I truly believe our male cat is going to shorten my life by about 30%. It constantly lunges at me and sits on books I am about to read, or clothing I am about to wear. It was abandoned early in it's life, and my wife took it in, and it has been on the warpath, with me, ever since. And that whole "cats don't have owners, they have staff" thing...THAT IS MY CAT!

[Canuckistanian]

76. I KNEW there had to be a good use for cats

Just kidding.

I have two of the lovable furballs myself and they're currently involved in a boxing match in the kitchen as I write this.

[Hatchling]

77. Dogs are dependents, Cats are roomates. nt

[walldude]

79. This is Max.

He's going to give me a heart attack not prevent one.

[rolleitreks]

80. Yet another reason to avoid cats. n/t

[Samurai_Writer]

81. Sterling will be glad to know this.

Here's some kitty photos for those who are cat-less. Maybe they will help!

[slackmaster]

82. So if I own two cats it should be OK to smoke cigarettes and eat bacon?

As much as I love cats, I'm skeptical of this finding. They do make me crazy sometimes.

[AlCzervik]

86. Gawd Damn Cat lobby! I know what you're doing! Stop mkaing me want a cat, argh!

[truebrit71]

88. Really, when deep fried or just al dente with a little garlic sauce...??

:evilgrin:

[Fire Walk With Me]

94. That lady who throws cats on The Simpsons is going to live forever...

[Kajsa]

95. Yep, even though these two can

drive me crazy at times,

they are a great source of comfort and companionship.

[kineneb]

98. can't have cats- allergic. Have pet chicken.

probably works just as well. She is sitting on the floor next to me, watching out for me. I love my buddy Henrietta.

[AlCzervik]

104. omg you have a chicken? Do want Do want Do want!!! Can you post a pic, pretty please?

[THUNDER HANDS]

105. ...and they taste like chicken!

:hide:

[Perry Logan]

108. And here I've been wasting all these years eating puppies.

[BeHereNow]

109. I'd be lost without my Kitty. He is SO calming through all the madness.

I can attest through personal experience, cats lower your
blood pressure, and with the way things are going-
EVERYONE should have a cat to soothe their nerves.

BHN

[dysfunctional press]

110. i use a purring cat to treat my migraines...

we have 3 cats, and when i have a migraine flare-up (several times a week), i'll lay in the bedroom with the shades drawn, pet the cat and/or rub it's ears til it starts purring really well, and then lay my face down on the cat- when they usually start purring even louder...after a few minutes, my headache is generally much better.

[CatWoman]

111. sometimes I think the opposite

especially around 3 a.m. when they are tearing the house apart :)

[MedleyMisty]

112. I love my baby cats

I was just reading someone's sig on here and it made me feel the pain of living creatures and I was sobbing and hugging and petting my cats - they are my best friends and make everything better.

Plus, having been adopted from a rescue society, they remind me that it is possible to make some of the global pain better. Maybe I can't save everyone, but I did help save a few cats.

[nonconformist]

115. I have 3 kitties... w00t!

[tencats]

116. My Cats are slowly but surely going to finish me.

I will enlighten you to their ways and you will know its true.

Just lately I have suffered at the their paws these insults.
1. I travel far to purchase cases of special cat foods that is amazingly more costly than my own feed. The cats now don't want that flavor today that they liked only yesterday, $$ wasted. What do they want? My blood pressure goes up.
<>

2. They always are stealing my seats and they don't give it back without a fight. My blood pressure goes up up.
<>

3. They like engage in a little bouts of roughhouse play and someone gets bit. We have to go to the Vet and its $$$. My blood pressure goes up up up.
<>

4. Sometimes one will disappear and I have go look high and low, inside and outside. When I find him my blood pressure just blows up.
<>

5. Can I get any work done to pay the bills. Nope, not with cats laying on my projects. My blood pressure is off the scale.
<>

6. And then they will bite me. The last time I got bit the infection almost finished me off.
<>

I have to go scoop the cats boxes now.

[Gemini Cat]

130. Exactly!

I have five and they are all very naughty.
They control me!

[Lorien]

131. OUCH! What the heck is going on with the third pic?

That looks awful. Poor kitty. :-(

But I know what you mean. I've got a new kitten who seems to have made a commitment to break something EVERY DAY. my other cat Puck HATES him, and she spends much of the day hissing and growling. She has also started breaking stuff to show her displeasure.And all three howl and whine if I shut them out of my studio, making it impossible to focus. It gets to be a bit much sometimes, but I love them anyway.

[tencats]

142. At first it was probably an unnoticed little puncture wound.

This kind of wound can commonly be suffered when cats rough house play. The shallow wounds quickly heal but the deep punctures can abscess and show like this some days latter. This one was very bad smelling the first day it opened and is a bit unusually large. Here I think this wound was at 6 days after I had intervened it one of their little disagreements. I had herd a loud scream and ran to see which cats were going at it. I had checked them both closely but these are near impossible to find and then if it is found it wouldn't look like anything bad at first. After I suffered paying for the 4th wound repair I now keep antibiotics on the shelf and give to it to the suspects for four days after a known cat fight and any wounds are noticed. I think this new routine has saved me $$ already will save me grief in the future.
<>

[ensho]

143. kick :)

nt

[superduperfarleft]

151. You are truly a wonderful person. n/t

[bullwinkle428]

120. This has obviously turned into a "brag thread"; an excuse to show off cats of DU...

Willow says "Hello, DU!"

[Octafish]

122. So I went to my doctor and she said: 'Take two cats and call me in t he morning.'

[lonestarnot]

127. Take 5 and head to GDP

[orleans]

139. what about dogs? what if you're allergic to cats? what about guinea pigs

or hamsters? or fish?

[ensho]

144. dogs can be your best, trusted friend and protector

nt

[0007]

152. A real cup of life with a cat is the best experience one can have. Barring sex!

I love cats of all kinds.

[RedCappedBandit]

155. i love my cat

[tucsonlib]

157. Something has crashed on my computer . . .

[Diclotican]

165. fingrpik

fingrpik

I know... That is what my own cat often do if he want my attention.. And don't get it at once.. Jumping up, and lie as long as she is on my desk... And then I understand that I have to leave the PC, get over to the living rom, and cuddle.. And then she get to sleep, happy that she is in the "middle point" of everything...

By the way, I get a big laf about the picture. I know so much what it means...

And it can also be because the PC are warm, and cat love warm.. Have a cat once who was living under the heater when it was winter, or cold... And I mean LIVING under the heater. Just get out of it when eating and to toilet..

Diclotican

Sorry my bad English, not my native language

[Brewman_Jax]

163. This post approved

"