How Cats Secretly Save Our Lives Each Day

Is your cat just lounging around, or are they quietly saving your life right under your nose? You might be surprised to learn that your feline friend has powers far beyond what meets the eye, powers that could be keeping you healthier and happier each day. From mysterious senses that detect danger to unseen healing abilities, cats have hidden superpowers that can drastically improve your life. In this video, we're diving into eight incredible ways your cat might be saving your life daily, and you probably didn't even realize it. But before we dive in, why not subscribe and join our feline-loving community for more tips and tricks on how to care for your kitty? Number one, super senses. Cats are already famous for their night vision, but that's only one of their amazing sensory abilities. A cat's sense of smell is 14 times stronger than yours, and their hearing is three times more sensitive. One incredible example of a cat using their amazing sensory powers to look out for their owner is that of Simi, the service cat. Simi's owner, Jennifer, has a condition that causes her to have spontaneous seizures, greatly affecting her quality of life. After her initial diagnosis, it was recommended that she get a medic-alert dog, but unfortunately, a traumatic incident had left her with a fear of dogs, making this solution unworkable. Jennifer was at her wit's end, until her cat Simi, despite having no training, started alerting her to seizures. Simi's amazing sense of smell allows him to detect the subtle chemical changes in her body up to five minutes before they cause a seizure. He then alerts his owner by licking her leg or jaw, giving her a chance to get herself somewhere safe. Number two, immune boost. There are all sorts of myths about cats and babies, the most well-known being the one about them sneaking into cribs and stealing the breath of sleeping infants. To be completely clear, this is just an especially spooky old wives' tale. Your cat won't suck your baby's soul out through their mouth like the Dementors from Harry Potter. In fact, although babies and cats should never be left together unsupervised, having a fur baby living alongside your regular baby is actually likely to significantly boost their physical health. A 2012 study that tracked babies over the first year of their life found that children who lived with a dog or a cat were 44% less likely to develop an ear infection and 29% less likely to have to be prescribed antibiotics in their first year of life. Number three, powerful purring. Every cat parent knows the comforting feeling of cat purring on your lap, but it's not just comforting white noise. It's yet another superpower. Scientists have discovered that the specific frequency of the vibrations generated by a cat's purr have incredible effects. Exposure to these vibrations over the long-term has been proven to reduce the likelihood of stroke, heart problems, and respiratory disorders. Not only that, but it can even help wounds and broken bones heal faster. There's a reason why cat owners are over 40% less likely to die from heart attack than non-cat owners and tend to live longer overall. If you ever feel yourself starting to feel a bit poorly, just go and spend some time petting your cat. Even if you don't start feeling the health benefits right away, we bet you'll feel better. Number four, stress absorption. We all know that cats are wonderful cures for stress, even though it might not feel that way when they've just knocked your coffee cup off the counter or left a dead mouse in your shoe. But you might be surprised to learn that according to science, they can be even more calming than a human friend or a partner. In a 2002 study, cat owners were put through an experiment where they were challenged to solve a tricky math problem in three situations, on their own, in a room with their cat, and in a room with their partner. Unsurprisingly, people found it easier to solve the problems when they had company than when they were on their own. A bit more surprisingly, they often did better in the company of their cat than in the company of their partner. The experiment truly showed the strength of the bond that cat parents have with their kitties, and probably prompted a few interesting discussions on the drive home. Number five, food finder. You'll hopefully never be in a situation where you're in need of this particular feline superpower, but it's good to know that it's an option. If you find yourself in times of famine, cats can be a surprisingly good source of food. No, not in that way, you monsters! Ancient Egyptian mosaics show that thousands of years ago, the first domesticated cats were put to work helping their humans hunt for small birds. The hunters would shoot the birds from the sky with arrows or slingshots, and the cats would run out to retrieve them, just like spaniels and retriever dogs do today. More recently in history, there was the case of Crimean tom, a cat who famously came to the rescue of starving British soldiers during the Crimean War. The soldiers had run out of food supplies, but Tom was well-fed on mice. They realized that these mice must have had their own source of food, and by following Tom on his next hunt, they discovered an enemy supply cache with enough food to feed them all. Number six, rodent repeller. That's not the only way that a cat's mouse-hunting abilities could save your life. Cats are incredibly efficient hunters, too efficient sometimes, as they are an invasive species in a lot of places and can have a negative impact on the local wildlife. In places where you don't want wildlife, however, places like inside your house, they can be a lifesaver, especially in rural homes. Cats can be great for keeping mice and rats away from your cupboards. Not only will they keep you from having to throw away all your food when you find tiny teeth marks in it, but they can also keep you safe from the mice and rats' much tinier friends, germs that spread potentially deadly diseases like Lyme disease, Hantavirus, and Salmonella. Number seven, social savior. As we all learned during the COVID-19 pandemic, going too long without social interaction can make even the most introverted of us a little stir-crazy. Humans are social animals, and not having company can have a negative effect on our mental health. Being around other humans is usually the best cure, but what about situations where that isn't an option, like during quarantine? Enter the cat. Interacting with a cat satisfies the same need for interaction that hanging out with another human would. Studies have shown that even when there isn't a pandemic on, cat owners are less likely to have issues with loneliness. A study from the University of Georgia in 2023 gave subjects over the age of 60 the opportunity to foster or adopt rescue cats. 12 months later, subjects reported that their mental health had improved and that they were experiencing significantly less loneliness than before. Number eight, super organizer. Sometimes you don't need a superhero. Sometimes all you need is a PA. Cats might not be very good at remembering your appointments, taking your calls, or reminding you to send your mom some flowers on her birthday, but they are very good at keeping you in a routine. Cats love routine. They like to know what's going to happen next, and once they've decided that they know what is going to happen next, they will try to insist that everything goes according to their plan. You can't lie in bed all day when a little furry someone is screaming next to your pillow demanding breakfast. You can't get away with never leaving the house when you need to buy a new sack of kitty litter. You can't stay up too late when your cat is pointedly lying on your bed, meowing as if to say, it's bedtime. This is one of the many positive effects that cats can have on a person's mental health. Just like cats, humans also like routines, but we're not always that good at sticking to them. Getting out of routine can make you feel depressed, anxious, or tired, even if you don't understand exactly what the problem was. Let your cat take the reins when it comes to planning your day, and you might find yourself feeling happier. Did you know that you can tell how your cat feels about you by their sleeping position? Check out this video to learn how your cat's sleeping position can tell you how they feel about you.