A human-animal bond has been long hailed to be a mutually beneficial and dynamic relationship in terms of mental health. At the end of this year Lincoln will be home to the 18th cat café in the UK. LSJ News decided to have a look at how cats can positively contribute to a human’s welfare.
Here is a list of all of the benefits that a relationship with a cat can bring:
- – They help deal with loss. They provide companionship and comfort.
– They lower stress levels. They have a particularly calming influence and test have proved this.
– They help you sleep better. Several studies and polls in the UK have found that people fall asleep quicker and deeper whilst in the company of a cat.
– They lower your chances of getting allergies. In 2002, the National Institutes of Health found that children under a year old who were exposed to a cat were less likely to develop allergies.
Katie Charles-Richards of Kitty Café in Nottingham said: “I just think that cats can brighten up any day you have. Just watching them run around makes people feel happy. Human-Cat interaction is excellent for the cats as well. People can see that the cats are happy and that in turn makes them happy.” Kitty Café are planning an expansion in 2018, with a store in Leeds about to open. They are a cat rescue as well as a café that strives to re-home the cats they have and are also planning to open a store in Lincoln.