WHAT IS CAT THERAPY AND HOW CAN IT IMPROVE YOUR LIFE? - ECONOMÍA - 2025

The gatoterapia is a therapy based on using the company of cats to receive positive effects like reducing stress and anxiety, help fight depression and increase the survival of patients with heart disease.

The company of a cat helps to achieve higher levels of relaxation in its owners. Petting a cat reduces stress, lowers blood pressure and heart rate.

On the other hand, some research shows that the characteristic purr of the cat (sound that they emit when they feel comfortable and safe) can have a very positive influence on your mood.

If you are sick, the company of a cat is capable of making you improve more quickly, thanks to the good psychological effect of the cat's presence in the life of its owner.

In addition, it has been proven that people who live alone, without the company of an animal, tend to have greater mental health problems (depression, forgetfulness), compared to those who have a cat as a pet.

Finally, if you have children, having a cat and taking responsibility for their care helps improve their self-esteem and instills in them love and respect for animals.

What are the effects of cat therapy?

Cat therapy can be especially beneficial in adults and children with various physical or emotional disorders.

For example, in autistic children, cat therapy has been shown to have a very positive effect on mood. A cat can smile back, especially to these children with severe communication problems, who often lead quite lonely lives.

In the case of elderly living in nursing homes, cat therapy can also be very useful.

Contact with the cat, a warm and furry little animal that can be caressed, cared for and even talked to without being judged or disappointed, can help the elderly to verbalize their emotions and feelings and stimulate their memory, which is especially beneficial in the elderly with mental health problems.

These cats have been shown to decrease anxiety in hospitalized patients, increase sensory stimulation in children with disabilities, prevent depression, and may also be helpful in recovery centers for troubled teens

Do you have a heart problem? Then cat therapy is ideal for you. A study carried out in the United States in 1995 showed that patients with heart problems improved more quickly if they had a cat at home.

In addition, the survival percentage of this group of patients was also higher among owners of a feline compared to those who did not have a pet.

At what ages can it be used?

Unlike the dog, the cat is a very autonomous animal. In general, they need less care and attention compared to our canine friends.

They are also smaller and therefore can be more easily adapted to life at home or in an apartment.

If you add these advantages to the clear benefits that cat therapy has on the quality of life of its owners, then you already know which is the ideal pet for almost everyone: the cat.

There are more than 40 species of cat, with different characteristics: different coat colors, short-haired and long-haired cats, with different facial features, small ears, large ears, in short, there are cats for all tastes, which also it is an advantage.

Special cats for therapy

There are cats that are specially trained to do cat therapy in geriatric residences, hospitals and care centers for patients with autism, among others.

A therapy cat can be of any breed. The most important characteristic in this type of animal is temperament. A good cat therapy animal should be friendly, calm, patient, and trusting.

You should enjoy being held, fondled, and pampered by people you've never seen before without feeling invaded or upset.

Children often squeeze cats, so a good therapy cat should be comfortable in these types of situations. Older adults are content to pet it while they have it on their lap.

An ideal therapy cat should also be able to remain calm while sitting on patients' beds. In the United States there are several organizations that are dedicated to training and certifying cats for cat therapy.

Pet Partners and Love On a Leash are two of the largest, but there are also many other small organizations that work locally. In particular, Pet Partners has a very substantial animal therapy program, and has been training volunteers across the country since 1990.

The first step in preparing a cat for cat therapy is to make sure that it meets the basic requirements, which can vary from one organization to another, although it is usually required that the cat feel comfortable in a harness and have up-to-date vaccinations.

Many institutions also require that the cat be at least one year old, and that the owner have had it for at least six months. It is always better that the cat does not eat raw meat, as it increases the risk of transmitting infections to patients.

If the cat meets these requirements, is friendly with strangers and does not react aggressively or become frightened by noises or unpredictable situations, then the owner receives training so that his cat can do cat therapy.

Usually, cats that have been used in shows are ideal, as they are used to noise, strangers and being handled all the time.

Why is cat therapy useful?

If you have a cat, then you already know that they are excellent companions and that they certainly have a very positive effect on you. But also, cats can help your children a lot, other children in your family or close environment, especially if they suffer from anxiety disorders or depression.

Although there are cats certified especially for cat therapy, in reality it is not necessary for your cat to be to help those close to you, if it is a calm and friendly animal.

Why are cats so useful in reducing anxiety and counteracting depression in children and adolescents? Here are 5 good reasons:

They are unconditional friends

Cats don't judge or ask questions. They simply accompany and let themselves be pampered. There are no complications in a relationship with a friendly cat.

This is a very beneficial aspect for children who feel anxious when making friends at school, for example.

Routines and responsibility

For children and adolescents whose emotions or behavior are out of control, owning a cat and having to take care of it can help the child to have a sense of responsibility and a routine that they often did not have before.

The cat must be fed at certain times and its litter box will also have to be cleaned regularly.

The fact of having these responsibilities increases the self-esteem of the boys, since they feel that the cat needs them in some way and they can respond correctly, fulfilling tasks appropriate for their age.

Children and teens with anxiety or depression often feel that their lives are meaningless. The cat helps them a lot, because caring for it is already a purpose that they feel they must fulfill.

Entertainment

Anxiety fills the mind with worries. Many kids with anxiety problems find it difficult to distract themselves and think about anything other than problems or negative ideas.

A great way to free your mind from these ideas is by playing with a cat. Cats are very playful and love to touch and chase anything that moves. If you let your children play with their cat, you will soon see them smiling, totally relaxed and distracted.

Improve social life

When a child has an anxiety disorder, they may have a hard time making friends. In this, the cat can also help. For example, the child may invite a friend to her house, to play with the cat.

Since you already feel comfortable and secure in the company of your cat, it will be easier for you to socialize with the other child in the presence of your pet.

Physical contact

Physical contact is beneficial for everyone. But children with anxiety and depression may need some extra pampering.

Surely parents already give them a lot of affection in the form of caresses, kisses and hugs, but contact with a furry friend certainly brings additional benefits. That is why it is important that the child have a cat that likes to be caressed, pampered and caressed.

How does this therapy work in the body?

Why does contact with cats have such a powerful effect? Why are there many therapies facilitated with animals such as dogs or cats that have very good results?

More research is still needed, but scientists believe that contact with these animals stimulates the secretion of oxytocin, a hormone that makes us feel safe, comfortable and confident.

The use of pets in medical treatment actually dates back more than 150 years, says Aubrey Fine, a clinical psychologist and professor at California State Polytechnic University.

Even Florence Nightingale recognized that animals provide valuable social support in the institutional treatment of the mentally ill, says Fine, who has written several books on the subject.

Research

But in the 1970s, researchers began to be interested in the positive effects that relationships with animals have on human health.

It was in the 1980s that heart disease patients were found to have shorter recovery times and longer life expectancies if they owned a pet, compared to those who did not.

Around this same time, it was shown that regularly petting a pet, be it a dog or a cat, can lower blood pressure, which is very beneficial for cardiovascular health, of course.

But the most recent studies focus on the fact that interaction with animals would stimulate the secretion of a hormone called oxytocin.

Oxytocin

Oxytocin is very beneficial, says Rebecca Johnson, who is the head of the Center for Animal Human Interaction Research at the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine.

Oxytocin makes us feel confident, happy, and secure. And perhaps for this reason humans have had domesticated animals as pets for so long, Johnson says.

But in addition, there could also be longer-term benefits for human health.

Oxytocin is also capable of stimulating the growth of new cells and therefore, by being in contact with animals, we are more likely to heal tissues that are damaged.

This explains why the number of therapies with animals is increasing, mainly dogs and cats but also horses and even birds or fish.