Cats have always been portrayed as mysterious animals that don’t care about their owners, and only really care about themselves. Sometimes, it might even seem that they like to be away from everything and that the only thing they do is sleep all day long. But no matter how absent they may seem to be from this world, they’re always aware of what’s going on around them. That’s especially true when it comes to their owner and their own emotional state. The pleasure of being with these animals, which are loved by a large part of society, comes with some interesting benefits and most of them are related to the fact that they help us find peace of mind.

That’s why today, Bright Side would like to show you what science has to say about all the benefits of sharing your house with a cat.

1. Their purrs are sounds they use to heal themselves and spending time with them while they purr benefits your health.

In some cases, people with special types of autism might find it hard to communicate with others. Animal therapy has proven to be one of the most helpful tools to help establish new channels of communication. In part, that’s because patients feel a stronger connection to animals. In the same line of thought, a study found that children who have a pet feel calmer and more sociable than those who don’t. When petting a cat, oxytocin levels could rise and increase the trust and love of the bond. For example, Iris Grace, a child with autism, gets help talking to people from her cat Thula, because her pet gives her a sense of security.

6. Having cats can reduce allergies (especially in children).

There are a variety of opinions regarding what the fur of a cat actually does and how often it falls out. When having young babies in the house, you might not think it’s a good idea to have a feline sharing the house with them. However, a study found that children under one year old who have a cat as a pet while growing up are less likely to develop allergies. These results suggest that having a pet around early in life could help our bodies refrain from developing an animal allergy later in life. It could also help us deal with other similar problems, like a dust allergy.

7. Cats are friendly.

The battle between cat and dog owners is something that probably started when humans first had pets and that could potentially go on forever. However, you might want to consider the following. A study found that people who own dogs are more active, outgoing, and tend to spend more time outdoors. In contrast, those who own cats are usually introverted, stay home more, and spend their time doing more relaxing activities such as watching TV series or reading about various topics, and are more interested in cultural and academic subjects.

That might be why it was determined that cat owners could be more intelligent than dog owners. But keep in mind that this result was solely based on the different personalities and interests of each type of owner, so it’s far from being conclusive.

What do you think about cats and their healing powers? Had you noticed any of these effects before reading this article? What benefit would you add to the list? If you’ve had any healing experience with your cat, we’d love to hear about it in the comments.