Do cats have healing powers? Research says yes
Series: This is part 2 of a series called Cat time is good for you.
Believe it or not, our sweet-bundles-of-fur are probably saving us a bundle in medical bills.
Wait til you hear all this…
While cats in particular have healing powers, research on pet companionship in general is also impressive.
According to research discussed in this news report, people with pets save the Australian health service about $880 million per year and save Germany about $6.6 billion per year. The research found that people with pets:
- need fewer visits to their doctor each year
- have fewer sleeping difficulties
- are less likely to need heart condition medicine
I was really excited about some research I found on cats in particular…
Cats may reduce heart attack risk by 40%
While a study showed that both cats and dogs reduced stress-related blood pressure more than ace inhibitor medication, a study at the University of Minnesota found that cats in particular may reduce your chances of a heart attack by 40%.
The study, which looked at 4,435 Americans aged 30 to 75, showed that those who did not have a cat had a 40% higher risk of having a heart attack and a 30% greater risk of dying from other heart diseases than those who have or have had a cat.
A decreased risk for death due to myocardial infarction and all cardiovascular diseases (including stroke) was observed among persons with cats.
University of Minnesota study
I was diagnosed with a heart arrhythmia many years ago. That’s a crazy erratic, racing heartbeat that happens periodically in varying degrees of intensity and threat.
I did not have a cat at the time. A bit later I lived with cats again and a bit later I stopped having arrhythmia. Didn’t think much of it.
Fast forward many years to when my only cat, Bastet, was dying. I started having bouts of terrible heart arrhythmia symptoms. After she died it got worse–and by worse I mean nearly constant.
It stopped the day we brought home two new purring youngsters named Phil and Joel. The arrhythmia disappeared that day and hasn’t returned since. Were there other factors that may have affected my heart arrhythmia in these cases? Probably. But the timing of the healing was uncanny.
But wait, there’s more!
There’s certainly some mystery as to exactly how cats and dogs manage to be good for our health. So far my investigation has uncovered these research nuggets about the healing power of kitty cats:
Stress symptoms are lowest in people with cats
In a study by Dr. June McNicholas, stress symptoms were lowest in cat owners, second lowest in dog owners, and highest in people without pets.
Purring heals—a lot of things!
The Fauna Communications Research Institute found that every cat in their study created purr vibrations within a range known be medically therapeutic (25-150 Hz). This frequency is therapeutic for:
- bone growth and healing
- pain relief
- swelling reduction
- wound healing
- muscle growth and repair
- tendon repair
- joint mobility
- dyspnea (shortness of breath) relief
Wow!
Other good news about having an animal friend at home
- Having a pet reduces your risk of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma cancer by about 33%! The longer you have pets, the less likely you are to develop lymphoma.
- People with pets live longer according to the Merck Veterinary Manual
- Pets are good for your mental health: One example is another study by Dr. June McNicholas of the University of Warwick. Her research showed that seniors had less depression and psychological distress if they had a pet.
Well, this has been humbling! Excuse me while I go see what little Phil and Joel are up to.
Do you suspect a cat helped you heal?
I would love to hear your thoughts in the Comments below.
Onward to Part 3, where I’ll look at an easy healing meditation technique that you can do with your cat. I tested it with a biofeedback device.
I had a heart attack atb40, when I came home from hospital Rudy would curlnupmon mybchest and purr I told my husband I think this cat is helping my heart. He waslike what ever. The cat honestly lays on my chest when I’m in distress presses his nose on my face til I sleep.angel cat I tell ya
My cat too named Rudy.as I was a stage 4 cancer patient,really at the end, Rudy came dug him paw into back of my hand,looked down on me laying in bed,a smile and I heard words don’t worry, you,ll be ok.i believe a spiritual force worked through him.maybe something was working through your Rudy too.
Hi Joy, most of the citations are provided in the articles as links- following the linked words : )
I am a cat lover from way back, hardly a day of my life have I lived without one. My career was as a mental health counselor and I wrote many a letter asking a client be excused from paying a pet fee at a rental home. I stated the cat was “a therapeutic animal” and “necessary for the well being of my client”. It has always been successful but in today’s environment there has been a push back and demand for MDs only to write such animal waivers. I would sure like to have the scientific/medical/research references for all the information you cite. It could be the difference in convincing an MD to write a “service animal” waiver, which has more teeth! No pun intended! I am going on WebMD and Medscape to look but am thinking University of Minnesota or Mayo or Menninger would be more likely? I no longer have access to medical peer review journals or indexes, even online as they are paid subscriptions and I am too poor; what with elderly cats needing expensive palliative care which is stressing me out! BTW my 59 y o baby brother has heart arrhythmia and has disdained cats in favor or no pets at all, or a dog only when his girls were still at home. He is suffering greatly and is losing his house after both he and his wife have lost 6 figure career jobs!
I have 3 cats one in particular always sleeps with me. I have endured some health issues and my body seems to always be in some discomfort or pain… my mother moved in and brought her cat… everynight the cat junpa on my stomach and kneads for 45 mins it doesnt matter if you remove her she always comes back very determined ro knead. Tonight it was my thigh a spot which O always jave tremndous pain I swear the cat knew exactly where to push and follwed the pain all the way up now its sleeping on it… its crazy when she does it to my chest or ztomach same thing its like shes telling me I know where you hurt and Im trying ro help you….
My cat does the same thing! When I had menstrual cramping and even diverticulitis she massages and take then pain away for awhile. It’s strange!
I have an irregular heartbeat afib at times and very stressful and I noticed my cat lay right on my chest purr hard loud when I have an irregular heartbeat also story I have is a cat kept pawing at his owner when he fell asleep and he was getting mad but he had sleep apnea and the cat was trying to tell him and wake him up let him know he was stopping breathing in his sleep
I had back surgery 3 months ago and right after the surgery I spent 2 weeks in my reclining chair. My cat Ty never left my side he sleeped on me all day long and followed me the little I did move. I went to the Dr. Yesterday and he said my recovery was one of the fastest he had seen and I have had zero set backs. As of today my back feels great. Thanks for letting me share.
I found this article this morning by searching “is my cat trying to heal me?”. My reason for searching this was that last night I spent every hour throwing up, for no known reason other than a possible stomach flu. Now, my cat sleeps with me every night, and each time I would get up to stick my head in the can, my cat would jump off the bed and follow me in there. He would just sit by me and watch. After the 4th episode of sickness I got back in bed and laid on my back. Immediately my cat climbed on my front and began pawing at the bottom of my shirt trying to lift it up to see/touch my belly where it was aching. When he would do this I would pull my shirt back down because I was tired and confused. After a few minutes of this I gave in and let him expose my belly. Once it was exposed he stretched both paws and his face over my exposed skin and began purring louder than I had ever heard him. That was the last time I threw up last night. I don’t know if it was pure coincidence, but I believe somehow my cat was attempting to heal me… and it may have worked.
i think my cat is trying to save me from suicide… whenever look like i’m in a bad mood, she immediately goes up to me and kneads me relentlessly. she also sits on my lap when she sees that i’m alone. 🙂
I have a question I was told by my family dr 2 weeks ago I was extremely dehydrate. Last night my kitten had to go to stay in the hospital with the same issues. Is it possible that he healed me and he took on my issues? 😢 The vet can’t figure out what caused his issues.
When I lay down for a nap, my longhair domesticated cat will sit in my left side and knead the pancreas area for about 10 minutes. I am diabetic type 2. Am not sure what my cat is doing. Will also knead abdomen, right upper lung area and left hip. Don’t have pain in any of these ares. What might she be doing.
These areas your cat is going to,upon your next visit to a doctor,why not have them checked by doctor for any problems might exist and better treated if caught early.hope its nothing though.
I loved reading all these beautiful kitty healing stories, so beautiful and amazing! God Bless Cats!! I love all animals, always have and have had just about every kind too, but cats will always hold an especially special place in my heart!
I also had an incredibly special kitty named Luna, a gorgeous Calico. Everyone else was afraid of her, really afraid of her actually, she was a rescue, born feral, and she really didn’t like anyone but me and would get really aggressive with people, especially if she ever witnessed them yelling or arguing with me, she was extremely protective of me, actually all my animals have been, lol. But with me she was the sweetest, most cuddly, super healing kitty, Angel and best friend!
I was already pretty sick when I got her, just found out I had severe Interstitial Cystitis, with severe pelvic pain, fibromyalgia, severe intestinal problems, migraines and more.. It didn’t take long at all to discover her healing abilities and strong desire to help me. Ever since she was a baby she slept on me where ever I was hurting most, usually my lower abdomen, but with migraines she’d wrap herself around my head, and during a few bad sore throats I woke up to her wrapped around my throat, lol, made it a little hard to breath as she grew bigger but my sore throat was gone, lol! Her being there where ever the pain was worst always helped so much more then any medication or treatment ever has! I believe they have Gods love and healing power flowing right through them and they take it very seriously!
Years later a test in the hospital went very wrong, I almost died and had to have several major surgeries to try to save me, all the damage left me completely home bound, the pain was a constant 10+ completely unbearable and all I could do is cry, Luna never left me for a second, she followed me everywhere to lay down or sit with me, always ready to help me! She totally became my nurse, and she took better care of me then anyone! Words can’t even express how amazing she was and how she totally saved my life!! She would even yell at me and try to get me to lay down when she knew I was overdoing and not sleeping enough. She was so amazing! She took the best care of me for 16 yrs, even when she was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism and rapidly losing too much weight, her first concern was always me. One day it was obvious something else was going on with her and it was bad, she always tried so hard to hide her own health problems and pain 🙁 just wanting to take care of me, I was devastated and rushed her to the emergency vet hospital. They told me she had such aggressive cancer and was suffering way too much, that I needed to say goodbye that day and then put her to sleep, there was nothing they could do for her. I was so angry her other vet didn’t catch it in time to help her! Esp. Since I was paying for x-rays and full blood tests monthly, sometimes more, trying so hard to take care of her like she did for me, but she hid it so well. It’s been a year since I lost her and I still can barely sleep without her, but Thank God, my sweet Luna who is watching over me from heaven, helped God pick out two new very special boys who are now figuring out their own healing and comforting abilities more and more every day! They are already so sweet and cuddly with such distinct personalities of their own, they are amazing, and they are already helping me so much with the pain and sleeping, and always cheering me up, cracking me up with their silly kitten anitics. I wouldn’t have survived losing my Luna without my two new special boys!! Thank you God, thank you my sweet Luna, I think of you constantly, always missing you, Always thanking God you were in my life, you made it so much better!! I love you so much!!
Cats are so amazing, and should be cherished every second!! Again God Bless all our precious kitty healers!!
I had surgery on both knees for severe knee dislocations.. I had to go back just this Tuesday for another surgery because the left knee wasn’t healing. My fiancé and I have 2 cats brother and sister. It seems like whenever I’m ill she comes and lay on me. She never does that. She’s more attentive with my fiancé and very finicky. So today she comes in my bedroom… She never does that. I’m in a separate room in a hospital bed recovering. She leaps up on my bed and start to purr and become more affectionate with me which don’t happen often. I love her but she adores my fiancé. She turns around and start licking my bandage. My leg is wrapped from foot to thigh. Then she meows and start licking again. My leg is very sore but I swear the pain started easing up the more she stayed on my bed. Then she comes back up to face and just stare at me and purrs and plant herself right on my tummy and chest. She stayed in my room for 30 mins. During that time she fell asleep between my legs and laid her her head on the knee that I just had surgery on. I wish I could post the pictures!!! It was amazing!! I have a lot of illnesses.. Rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, fibromyalgia, sever chronic pain. Whenever I have bad episodes here she comes. Her name is Misty
I heard that cats are also better at healing depression.
This is a story similar to Roberts although I certainly hope my poor cat doesn’t die!! We have a delicate little Ginger we rescued a couple of years ago named Simba. He’s a sensitive & precious little boy but can be affectionate only on his own terms. Anyway, very rarely does he come UP on the bed (though he likes clawing at every other part) but recently I’ve had some heart issues & he’s “acting” differently. For several consecutive nights I’ve woken up early (like 1:30, 3:30, etc) to find him walking all over me, very gingerly (!) of course and purring very confidently (he normally has very low, almost inaudible purr). And, oddly enough, he’s been kneading my torso, specifically my chest above my heart! Maybe he’s my little healer, who knows? Anyway, he’s gentle about it & I can usually get back to sleep not long after. It’s comforting to know my little boy empathizes with his daddy. My father thinks pets have all kinds of mysterious healing & symbiotic qualities. Just thought I’d share. And good luck to Rudy, the amazing cancer cat!
Was sick, long time, no health care.finally went to v. A. Health center,where after 6 hrs tests,told me had large tumor mass in pamcreas.another cancer center determined was a 3 1/2″ by 2 1/2″ cancerous tumor pancreas also 2 tumors small in stomach.got very bad quick,weak, 40 lb loss on normal thin body already, vomiting air nightly, was no food in me, just vomiting body fluid i guess.lived alone 1 stray cat and rudy ., my 14 yr old cat. Took 2 weeks before sny treatment would start,at v.a. Hospital,thry gave me paper work fill out, my wishes of what to do with my body., i prepared to die with dignity.rudy though felt diffrent, he did something as never before,as i laid in bed most of all day he would come sit by my side dig a paw into back of my hand,look down at me with a smile like look , a confident look as saying you,ll be ok dont worry.i never seen this look on his face before,i almost was beliving a angle was in him. I am sure he was helping me,something was happening or i at least 100% believed it.every day he did this,7 months lated their pet scan showed no cancer in pancreas or stomavh nowhere.after this test, rudy quit eating2 days,took to a vet,tests showed chest filled with a large mass, probanly cancer, signs of cancer brain area and enlarged heart. Lost rudys body to disease, but i still feel his spirit or soul alive and with me,yes im sure they have a spirit like us moves from body to body till we reach some growth level and go up to the heavens forever, rudy was at his highest level,his spirit so pure he wont have to reincarnate back to this earth.he did something to me those days, i will never forget him, he will always be with me alive in spirit.rudy thankyou for saving me, im sorry i could not do same for you,,i will be coming back here till like you i get it right.
Robert, what an extraordinary story about a very special cat – thank you for sharing that. I am deeply sorry for your loss of Rudy, but glad to hear you feel his spirit still present. (I am always moved by the comments on this page! though I haven’t found time to respond to each one.)
Three years ago I was on the waiting list for a total left hip replacement. I was on a cane. Two years ago I was diagnosed with Atrial Fibrullation. At that time I rescued a SPCA black, short hair, female cat, Inky. Inky always sleeps on my left hip at night. I no longer have hip pain, cane thrown away, operation cancelled. My A-Fib has gone away, too. Is this due to the healing power of my cat? I like to think so.
Omg it is such a long story I was adopted by a cat and he was kind of wild so t speak I am psychic and a healer and have always had an affinity with cats . I have had body dysmorphia for years which in turn has manifested in gum disease I have released a lot of deep stuff and he has started making a point of rubbing his mouth on mine, he has also strategically placed his paws on my cheek and looked like he was communicating with some other being among other things , god bless cats
Last night I had migraine. I get them very often and they usually land me in the ER. Well I went to bed and my kitty was sleeping above my head. I’m not sure if what happened next really happened or if it was a trick my mind played on me because of the pain. He put his paw on my forehead, and where his paw was it felt like the pain was being drawn from me… And then he moved his paw and it happened again. It might all be in my head but I was able to finally fall asleep.
I had a disabling injury that caused me to have epidural shots in my neck and other shots in my head (due to my jaws being locked for about 7 mos.-guarding my neck injuries), which ultimately lead to cervical fusion. After my injury, my baby, Bambina (cat) scared me one day as I was laying down icing my neck and by my brainstem.. She was on my shoulders and arm with all fours and started massaging me.. Once I realized what she was doing, I started to “breathe” through her massaging and then a big “pop” and I could feel blood flow.. she’d keep massaging my shoulders, my arms, my upper-body where my neck meets, and then another “pop” and I could actually take a deeper breath.. she kept doing this for a while and then after she had it loosened up more, she started massaging, working so hard on my neck; I could feel her little paws real deep in my neck-felt like she was trying to gently move my away my discs. She did this for about 20 mins and was very insistent that no one interrupt her while she was helping me. I had her for 6 1/2-7 yrs. long before I ever had this injury and she had NOT ever done anything like that-NOT EVER!!! I say “we found each other” ’cause one day at work, she ran up to me as I was outside on break and my friend/co-worker watched us and said, “I better go get your keys and purse” – she could tell we already had a bond and that was all those years before my disabling injury. Now, ever since this injury (Jan. will be 9 yrs.), my baby gives me at least 1 massage each and every single day, sometimes 2-3 times each day for about 20 mins. each time. I’ve been needing more neck surgery for couple years, however, I’ve had to go without because of insurance coverage issues. My baby does her very best to help me heal every single day; she sleeps all curled up to my neck every night too, and holds my neck as she purrs away. She was already my Heaven sent Baby and I truly didn’t think she could ever be anymore special to me, and then I was disabled and she’s done (and continues)to help me every day-ever since. I’m truly blessed to have her and I thank God each and every day!! My Beautiful Baby!!!!
When I was really little my family found a litter of three abandoned kittens in our field. We initially attempted to leave them alone, and then lure the mother with meats but the kittens were getting weaker and weaker so we took them in, planning on finding them homes. But I was an animal crazy little girl who was bottle feeding tiny kittens. Rehoming? Yeah right!
Well, now that they are older and in their teens, I am forever grateful for them. Two of the three in particular seem to take extra special care of me. I don’t even mind the cat fur all over my bed, since I sleep better with them next to me, and when I wake up, my orange tabby and white cat, Tanny, is usually stretched out beside me and it makes the biggest difference in my life. I’ve had feelings that resemble dysthymia, though I am undiagnosed. Waking up is sometimes so difficult and Tanny stops me from wanting to give up.
But the most incredible thing is the way that Tanny and my tuxedo, Isabelle, work together to keep me safe and healthy. If I’m feeling any pain, from a sore throat due to a cold to when I sprained my knee badly, to the mental pain, such as loosing a loved one, Isabelle takes over. I’m always amazed by the way she can tell when I’m experiencing pain and the way she handles it. It may seem crazy, but she is very efficient in locating the pain. She then proceeds to lay right next to me or where I’m injured, purr really loudly, and put a paw exactly where it hurts. For mental pain, she always puts a paw on my head. And I swear it works! I start feeling better almost right away! And she becomes so tolerant during these healing spells, letting me blubber into her fur, or laying in uncomfortable positions to reach where it hurts. And maybe it’s just because she has such a calming effect but I always feel like I heal faster if she has helped. I don’t even take pain meds for headaches or anything, Isabelle always takes care of it.
I really do find it easy to believe everything this article says. I have a variety of pets and I love them all but no one is quite the healer that Isabelle is. Cats are incredible creatures that I feel many people misunderstand.
Great article!
I rescued my cat from the SPCA I went there to show my nieces, 9yr old twins, the importance of animal responsibility. They wanted kittens and I explained it was better to rescue. I already had a dog and had no intentions of adopting. As we visiting I saw two beautiful cats that just spoke to me. One in particular is a black Burmese male at the time he was a year old and had to be isolated. That didn’t matter to me at all I feel in love with his demeanor they allowed my daughter and I to have time with him he was nervous scared and almost aggressive, but that didn’t bother me. When our time was up the lady assumed I wouldn’t take him and began to tell me she knew he would never be placed because he was “to ferrel” then explained he had been sent there from another facility because they couldn’t handle him. She also informed me he had been badly abused by kids and would never trust humans again so I told her I would take him. I need him Salem and after a week this cat changed from big bad cat to loving kitty.
Now for the healing part! I had a thyroid condition completely incurable for 20 yrs my doses only increased, but about a month after my kitty started sleeping with me he started giving me acupuncture on my arm I had be suffering from tennis elbow which was very painful due to neuropathy. I also have diabetes which caused the neuropathy. Any I felt instant relief. After, that my cat began doing acupuncture on my neck he almost seemed possessed and was frightened because of the veins in the jugular area but decided to trust him. Salem would do this every night for a month straight I found myself feeling quite energetic despite being out of my medicine but I scheduled an appointment with my doctor to refill my prescription. She insisted on blood work which came back 100% normal I asked how long would it take to have my meds out of my system and was told 2 days I had gone a little over a month and some how my cat reactivated my thyroid gland. Sorry this story is so long but I felt compelled to share, I rescued my cat be he is saving my life one condition at a time.
What a wonderful cat healing-power story, Erika, thank you for sharing this!
My fiance had a black cat called Le Stat (male). First he had been living in our apartment for more than 10 years. After that he lived 3 years in a workshop with her partner. He was gay, and he got contagiated from HIV. in 2009 he came to the last part to the AIDS – he was almost dying in the hospital, he lost a lot of weight. So did the cat, and the cat lost of weight. We went to the vet and he diagnosed our cat with a depression. After our friend came back from hospital, the friend and the cat started to recover and gain weight simoultaneously. We think that the cat helped to overcome HIV of our friend. our cat died last Christmas and we always cherish him in our hearts.
Can someone teach my cats on where to massage me? I’d love to get a good shoulder rub or lower-back massage every once in awhile — they get a lot of chin scritching from me — how about some reciprocity?
I felt like sharing my cat story after doing a Google search on cats with healing powers.
I love alone most of the day. I’m a 38 year old male and proud cat owner. I found Pipin at the local no-kill shelter. When he lazily looked up at me from his perch there was something in his eyes that told me there was some kind of connection. I don’t know what it was but it was there. After a brief finger sniffing, head petting, and chin/cheek scratching session I was left alone in a room with five other cats and Pipin. Pipin warmed up to me the fastest, always rubbing up on my legs and he even jumped on my lap, to the amazement of the other folks looking in the room’s big glass door. Within five minutes we were bonded and I had him home that very day. Pipin is a three year old abandoned shelter cat.
He became very attentive, which I adored. He sleeps with me and constantly lays on my lap, making me feel like the villain from the James Bond films. I love this new found connection I have with the animal. When he lays on my lap he purrs like crazy and I feel good and totally mellow right along with him. He even reaches his paws out to my arm and lays them there, almost as if he wants to keep in contact with me.
Now for the healing part that’s beyond psychological. He constantly likes to massage my stomach, which can hurt and become annoying after a while. Sometimes I’d be a bit constipated (I know TMI) and my stomach would be cramping up while he does it. When I finally get him to stop my stomach ache is almost completely gone, and twenty minutes later I have a movement like I’ve never had before. An hour after that I have another one, and I feel completely relaxed for the rest of the day. For the past few years my movements have been harsh and irregular and the last month or so It’s been smooth, relaxing, and effortless.
I’ve only had Pipin since November 2012 so there can’t be a coincidence there.
I’m also a computer gaming nerd. So Pipin has found that he can get my attention by jumping up on the back of my chair and rubbing his face on me, which I love. Not only that, but he does his acupuncture thing on my bad shoulder that I dislocated from behind about ten years ago, and my muscles feel relaxed instead of tense and stressed out. I’m even doing forty pushups a day now. It’s like he gives me a shoulder massage and completely relaxes me, until the claws become like little daggers and I need to make him stop lol.
Since I got Pipin, he has turned me into a new person mentally. He’s givin’ me an even greater respect for life and animal companionship than I’ve ever had before. I urge anybody who is on the fence about getting a cat to stop thinking about it and take the plunge. They are easy to maintain, and when treated right, will love you forever.
Once again, sorry for the TMI bit in the beginning, but it was part of this story and had to be told.
Cats are very special. When I lost my oldest and dearest cat to cancer right after Christmas I couldn’t sleep in my bed for days (she always slept with me) so I slept on the couch. my youngest and rowdiest boy kitty came every night and laid on my chest, quietly purring all night, comforting me and helping me sleep. He’s how I got through those terrible weeks.
Then today I took a nap, having not slept well the past few nights with bad things going on, and my now-oldest girl kitty laid on my chest and put her cheek against my cheek (which she’s never done before). We slept like that for almost two hours. I haven’t slept that well in a long time!
One day I came home with a massive headache. I took a pain-killer and went to bed. A few hours later, the headache woke me up. It ached so badly, I cried. I stood up to take a glass of water. When I went back to bed, my cat was sitting close to my pillow. I lay down and she started patting my head, on the place I felt the pain, while she purred.
I also suffer terrible cramps sometimes. I also lay down and fall asleep. I usually wake up and find my cat sleeping on my belly, precisely in the place where I feel the pain. Maybe the pain doesn’t fade away, but my pet does help in the healing process.
Whenever one of us is sick our cat just comes and sleeps next to us. Won’t leave until we feel better.
It works every time.
Hi. i am a 47 y/o physically disabled woman (spina befida). I use a motorized wheelchair. I have several medical problems – some associated to my disability, and some not – among these anxiety, high blood pressure, acid reflux and extreme back pain due to severe scoliosis. In spite of the problems, i work full time to support myself and i love working. However, when you combine everything i can sometimes feel quite overwhelmed. I am a lifelong animal lover. The majority of my animal friends during my life were birds. For this reason, i was never really interested in a cat as a pet until a few years ago when i started getting interested in the Devon Rex and the Sphynx breeds. A friend of mine had a female Sphynx of was being driven up the wall by her 3 other male Sphynx. She made me an offer i could not refuse… would i adopt her female? I jumped at the opportunity. During this time, we were have some particularly difficult times at work with some major changes. I would come home with headaches, bad anxiety and my face was red. From the very first day when Bella greeted. me at the door after work, these symptoms stopped. It did not occur to me before several weeks after when i. thought “hey wait a minute…”. I have never felt those overwhelming feelings again so far, and it’s just as crazy busy at the office as it as back then! It’s been about eight months!
Murielle – I’m so happy you and Bella found each other, and I love your story! Thank you so much for sharing it on my blog.
Just the other day I had a really sore back. When I went to sleep I layed on my stomach and hoped for the best. In the middle of the night, my cat layed on my back and the pain immediately subsided. It was crazy! In the morning, my back didn`t hurt at all. 🙂
Love your cat back healing story, Becca. Thanks!
I had a really bad head ache today had to sleep it off, my cat came and sat with me but her paws where on my leg. When i woke up my headache was gone. It could have been the sleep but i feel my cat sent healing to me whilst her paws where on me.
Terri, I agree, I think your cat was helping you out there! Thanks for sharing your headache-be-gone story.
Liz, my oldest cat, Harley (age 14), saved me several times from committing suicide! I also had a very sweet cat, Angel, who used to lie on my husband’s side when he had withdrawals from drugs and alcohol. He said that while she was lying on him, the symptoms were tolerable, but when she got off, he could barely stand it. She was a bona fide healer who, I think, gave so much of herself that it caused her irreparable harm. She passed away when she was 3 years old from one too many seizures. Needless to say, it was the worst day of my life. I’m just grateful that she was in my life. We still have 5 cat-children, along with feral cats outside. After reading all your articles, I will never be without a cat again!!! Thanks for sharing!
Molly, those are profound examples of feline healing. Thank you so much for sharing–Harley and Angel’s stories will stick with me. Hope to see you around here often. : )
I do believe that cats have an amazing ability to heal that we haven’t tapped into or maybe the Egyptians new this centuries ago.
My cat is an acupuncturist. I first noticed a few years ago when I had a bad sinus infection that lasted for months. My cat curled up tight on top of my head and gently stuck her claw in the top of my head. I felt her one claw go into my scalp and when I sat up my nose drained like never before. Within a few days I was completely better. She also saved me from a possible stroke with very high blood pressure she wrapped her body tightly around my head like a halo.
Nanette, wow–what a great cat! Thank you for sharing your healing stories.
Yes, without a doubt. When I used to teach aromatherapy massage, my two Siamese assistants would do Reiki. I had clients who insisted we couldn’t begin until a cat was on the massage table.
Layla, I get that!
It’s great to see CatWisdom101 representing here. Thank you!
I love my cat!! Thank you for the informative article. I’ll cuddle him extra. How, I don’t know, as we are already inseparable.!
Morab, I know what you mean.
Of course cats have healing powers…there isn’t any question in MY mind! I cannot tell you the various times when my cats made all the difference in the world.
I’m looking forward to your receiving your blog. I’ve just signed up.
Thanks Ruth, it’s great to have you around! I took a quick look at your website and only wish we lived closer so you could petsit for us!
My 17 year old healthy cat just Died.I am very sad because she died to heal my tumor,I felt she did Reiki in my affected area,and then I read this morning all about it.I did not know, but I watch her during 2-3 months at night before going to sleep,I could not get her out of my pelvic abdomen area, with her pause, and a intense stirring with her beautiful green eyes.she was really my husbands cat, but she turned to me,then got depressed, took her to 2 vets,hat a problem w. Her kidneys , then improved, but never got her appetite back. We nursed her for 1 month, feeding her, drip, and lots of love, but she left us…….Samantha “Samy “,We have Felix 17,she is the notary one…..We are going to miss her…. rip…Samy