Ah!
Don’t know about you, but just looking at that (somewhat terrifying) face makes us wonder what was done to it (or not done)!
It doesn’t look happy does it? It could be some pain it is in. It could be someone brought it the wrong food today (even though it was the exact same food yesterday, and the cat liked it then). It could be the face of a cat not being paid enough attention to. It could be that it’s drying up like a raisin or prune and needs a little TLC and a coconut oil massage. Or it may just be its natural ‘resting’ face. (We shouldn’t judge.)
’Catitude’ is a real thing.
Anyone who knows the nature of a cat knows it’s best to keep them happy (regardless how adorable they can be when they get frustrated)! How many other animals will full on rub up against us, so sweetly and lovingly, and turn to bite us the very next moment?
Only cats. It’s a gift of theirs. Part of their charm really.
Cats Demand Proper Attention
Small in stature but full of attitude, cats are a phenomenon. They look like teddy bears but come with claws; are never short of inventive ways to get our attention and ‘negotiate’ for what they want (like pawing our face in the morning with progressively elongated claws, knocking things off high places, fawning deprivation, vomiting in inconvenient places, staring …); and they also happen to be powerful healing machines.
Many cat owners believe and report that their cats have healing powers. Is that the cat convincing us of this so we feed it well? Quite possibly. But there is science to back cat owners’ claim.
Almost every cat owner knows the experience of a cat showing up when most needed. There are countless stories of cats going to lay on the exact spot of pain or injury in a person; or of cat owners feeling better — even outright healing serious illness or preventing something as big as hip surgery — after prolonged purr sessions with their cats. And there’s research to prove it:
A cat’s purr vibrates at the same frequency (25 and 50 Hz) used by scientists to promote tissue regeneration, bone growth, and heal fractures.
It also lowers stress and blood pressure; reduces the risk of heart disease statistically by 40%; aids in pain relief; decreases symptoms of difficulty in breathing; and generally feels comforting.
A 10 year study found that those who lived without cats had a 30% greater risk of heart disease and a 40% higher risk of heart attack than those that shared their home with a cat or cats. (Maybe that’s why those crazy cat ladies often seem to be in their 100s!)
And slowly, methodically, petting a cat’s fur, while it purrs can also be very psychologically healing. Not just by reducing loneliness, anxiety and stress — though that too — but due to the cortisol reducing nature of a cat laying on our hearts and belly; also lowering blood pressure and heart rate.
Another study in Australia showed that those with cats had significantly better psychological health overall, using measurements like sleep disruption, anxiety levels, and how they saw their own lives. One famous cat — named Oscar — would systemically go into patient’s room in a nursing centre shortly before the person would pass away. He would curl up, and give them company as they transitioned. (There is now a book about Oscar called, “Making Rounds with Oscar: The Extraordinary Gift of an Ordinary Cat.”)
It’s a kind of care that comes without words, and works on such a deep and primal level within us. A care that reminds us the ‘more than human world’ is also a bounty of love in infinite forms — claws and all.
Healing Divas
So, despite the fact that, yes, they can have the attitude of a diva at the full height of fame, know exactly how to get our attention, with seemingly as much remorse for their actions as comic book super-villains, and would probably take hostages if they could just to get extra treats, they also offer us a lot beyond just their companionship. It’s clearly in our best interest to keep them healthy and feeling well.
Take care of them. Love them. Keep them pain free. It can benefit you and your loved ones as well. The healthier, happier and more appreciative they are, the more they’ll nuzzle up and be the little powerhouse healing divas they are.
Help them out with Purica’s line of pet health. They need support for their well being just as much as we do. (And a bit of coconut oil on that face and body can’t hurt either!)
Besides, do you really want to upset that face anymore than it already is?
Do you?
Probably not.
(Ok, we kid. That cat is an internet phenomenon named Loki. And he may be ecstatic in that picture.) Ah cats. How we love them.
