The Colorful World of Cats: How Kitties Can Change the Perspectives of the Humans Around Them
By Ameill Brown
As a non-pet owner, I often find myself wondering what it would be like to take on the responsibility of having an animal. Not only is caring for a pet a substantial financial responsibility, but most common pets, namely dogs, require significant attention and physical activity that is usually dependent on the owner. When getting a pet, one must consider questions like, “Will I have time to walk them?,” “How much will food cost?” and “Who will take care of them when I am away?” Even with the difficulties that come with taking care of a pet, one group of owners almost always has wonderful things to say about life with their pets: cat owners.
Of all my pet-owning friends, the ones with cats always seem to be over the moon about the small but life-changing things their cats have done for their mental and physical well-being. Whenever I find myself thinking about how having a pet may be too strenuous for me, I cannot help but think about my companions’ positive experiences. I could go on and on about how nice it is to live vicariously through my friends and enjoy the kitties without having the responsibilities, but I am reminded of just how worthwhile it is to own a cat, even with the most tedious pet-related tasks, by the people around me. I have learned best from their perspectives, which I have fortunately been able to explore.
I asked Jack, a longtime companion of mine, to tell me about his cat, Toby, and it opened up a deeper conversation and idea for me: What can a cat really do for a human? In his response, Jack told me, “He always has given me a reason to come home and care for my environment. When my room would be messy with clothes and papers littered around, it would be easier to clean if I convinced myself that a cleaner room would be better for Toby, and it turns out it was a symbiotic relationship.”
Jack is one of the cleanest people I know, but I had never known that was largely because he wanted his environment to be suitable for both him and his cat. Toby became something else for Jack to take care of and helped him explore a selfless way of looking at life that ultimately benefited him. Additionally, Jack told me that Toby also provided peace of mind:
“When everything around me was moving so rapidly, Toby’s purrs were always at the same pace, and it was very refreshing to just slow down for a second and realize that it’s okay to calm down and take it one step at a time.”
So caught up with other things in our daily lives, it can be hard to find time to just relax and have a minute to ourselves. Having a cat helped Jack experience a level of calm he had never unlocked before. This conversation sparked a series of questions I wanted to ask different cat owners about how their cats affect them.
When questioned about how her cats, Mowgli and Bella, have helped her in the long term, my dear friend Aidaqueen remarked that they have helped her to see the beauty in the small things more.
“Sometimes I just find myself sitting and looking at them in admiration. They are just so innocent and full of life. My cats have helped me through teaching me to love something with all of my heart.”
It is truly best understood through the words of owners just how selfless having a per can make a person. So often in our world, joy is attached to tangible items one can buy, but the love and fulfillment that people can get solely through caring for another being seems to be the answer to true happiness. Aidaqueen told me that her cats have given her mental strength and provide a delight in her day-to-day life when saying,
“When I first got my cats, I was having a hard time in life. I really needed some motivation and reasons to keep pushing through, so my family and I decided to go to the cat shelter. That was when we found my two black cats, Mowgli and Bella. Just watching them go about their daily lives and rely on each other as a means of strength just truly made me happy, something I had not really known the full truth of until I got my cats.”
Remarks like Aidaqueen’s provide insight into the positive effects on mental health that come with owning a cat and how they help humans find joys that they otherwise may never have had.
Cats do not just bring dopamine to the brain. The National Library of Medicine’s investigation on the effects of interacting with cats shows that they can also serve as a source of improvement in their owners’ physical well-being. Upon reviewing previously conducted case studies, scientists remarked, “daily direct interaction with cats may play an important role in the health-promoting effects of cat ownership. Previous studies have shown that interactions with cats increase the positive emotions of owners and decrease their heart rate and blood pressure.” Both heart rate and blood pressure are directly related to a person’s physical body and can be easily affected by their movement, and from learning this, I was interested in hearing a perspective about how a cat could inspire a person to be more active.
When I prompted my friend, Lillian, to open up about how her cat helps her physical health and productivity, she remarked, “Ever since I got Lucille for my seventh birthday, I have felt like I always have somebody at home that will physically be there as support. On mornings that I didn’t feel like getting up, I would feel her jump up onto my bed and meow at me. Although I knew it was just simply time for her to eat, I thank her for giving me a reason to get out of bed.”
Everyone has times when outside responsibilities, like school and work, are strenuous, but almost every cat owner I’ve met says their feline friend helps them through those hardships. Lillian made it clear to me that Lucille was always there to help her when she needed it, even just by being a companion.
“When I was under piles of stress from schoolwork, I would sit at the kitchen table for hours, and she would stay the whole time, letting me pet her. She is like a little friend to me, and I am so happy that she is in my life.”
I have best seen the awe-inspiring effects of cats on their owners through my very own roommate, Annaliese. Kiwi, her one-year-old emotional support kitten, lives with us in our dorm. Since Kiwi’s arrival two weeks ago, I have noticed an overall sense of happiness throughout our dorm and among all those who have come to see her. She has also been a great help to Annaliese herself. Remembering Annaliese’s perspective before Kiwi arrived and seeing her now, it is almost a 180-degree shift. I recall moments where I would ask her if she wanted to go out with our dormmates and I, or go grocery shopping together for things she needed, and she’d often reply with a statement along the lines of, “I will do it tomorrow,” or, “I do not really need it that badly now.” However, with Kiwi here, Annaliese is more open to going out and doing things and ends up just enjoying herself more. I’ve seen many positive changes in her, but I think she described it best when she told me, “She is my world, and she gives me so many reasons to keep going.”
Although I do not own a cat, the heartfelt words of my friends and the stories of their positive experiences never fail to remind me that animals are not only meant to coexist with humans but also to thrive with them. The truth is, cats can be real companions and can make all the difference in people’s lives.
