Cats help prevent heart attacks and strokes:

http://health.usnews.com/usnews/health/hea...eart-attack.htm

This does not surprise me. I'm a cat lover even though I don't have a cat at this time. They cite people who have cats as pets but I believe it could work for those who love cats period. (I hope.) Maybe it could also be related to the idea that people who like cats are willing to acknowledge the cat's superiority and don't need to compete as boss, therefore bringing less stress upon themselves.

I've heard that about dogs too. People who are married have a lower risk also. It's us who are alone that are at risk. Ain't got NO LOVIN!!

How wonderful to have done research on this and documented the health benefits! Rewarding and unsurprising news. Cats are transfiguring to know, excellent family and friends.

Animals love you unconditionally. In addition, a pet to love and care for helps the owner to focus on something other than him/herself which is a mental and physical benefit.

I know just stroking and holding my pets makes me feel calmer. They are such a comfort.

I beg to differ, Gloria! Men cause more stress, then you divorce them and get a cat! I am much happier and less stressed single than I am married. I also know that my cat's love is unconditional, and as I always say "cat's don't lie about love".

Well..............I have to agree with you. Things all of a sudden get REAL complicated with men but I have heard that people who are married live longer............that is........people who are happy and married I guess. Happy is a funny word..........maybe content would be better.
I must tell you that even people with little birds love the company and the animal enriches their lives a LOT!
I need a pet but cannot decide. I LOVE LOVE LOVE dogs..........but I know cats are lower maintenance. I think I'm an extrovert though............I'm a dog lover.

Glo, from the sound of it, you're in a good location to have a dog. You like to go for walks, the weather is cooperative, and it would be easier to walk your dog every day. Where I live I'm in a small apartment, the weather is sometimes prohibitive of going out, and there's really no place where a dog can run free and play. Even with a cat, it's not too convenient. I used to have a cat when I lived in a bigger apartment with access to a big enclosed yard in back where the cat could go out. If I lived in the country, it would be great to have dogs and cats.

Well......................I thank you for your observation.........
I DO work though. In Florida most lots are small. I would get a small dog that doesn't require a lot of room to exercise. I had a Maltese before. She got all the exercise she needed in the house. She didn't like to go out if the grass was wet! Haha...........anyway..........
I feel like I need to be home to be fair to the dog. ???

I know what you mean. Animals need company too.

Glo, walk through your local animal pound, or adoption center, some little dog will surely capture your heart. They are 'gently used' but they give so much unconditional love. You seem like the 'little dog' type to me. :)
You don't necessary have to be home all day. My son has a dachshound (Frank) who sleeps in his little cage house until my son gets home and lets him out to a fenced yard. Also, some times he leaves him outside in a shaded area (he lives in Atlanta). He has a big patio that is covered, a dog house and a lot of trees.

We love dogs but are gone from home a fair amount, that's exactly why we won't get one.

I am however getting the serious bug to get a cat (or two, so they have some company during the day) again. We looked at PetSmart and on-line, and DH has fallen seriously in love with Bengals and Savannah cats. I'm thinking more along the lines of a domestic short hair from a the local shelter!

A lot of people don't know that shelters have purebreds. You can ask them to keep any eye out for the type of cat or dog you are looking for. There are also breed rescue groups where you can get an animal someone has been unable to cope with. It's often better to get an adult animal if you don't have the energy for a baby.

FiveOaks, the Humane Society discourages people from letting their cats out. They kill too many birds plus are in danger themselves of getting hit by cars or getting lost. Unless you have a fully enclosed yard or porch. Cats are perfect "indoor only" animals. Many of us here have had indoor only cats with great success. If they've never been outside, they don't know what they're missing. As long as they have a window to watch the world go by, they are happy. Just make sure to occasionally shake up their environment a bit, by bringing home a new toy or a cardboard box or large paper bag to play in. My cats were terrified of going outside because it meant they were going to the vet!

RefinedOne, why not get one shelter cat and one purebred so both you and hubby are happy?

PerfumeMe speaks truth. Cats don't need to go outside and most vets advise you do not let them out. They don't even really need another cat for company. Cats are not herd animals. They are solitary hunters. They also sleep for hours and hours like their big cat relatives, so they can happily sleep all day while you're at work. They like to have a perch near a window (a kitty condo) and a scratching post, and they're perfectly happy living in the house. Also if you only keep one at a time, it will bond with you and be more easily trained. Two at a time tend to get into mischief in my experience.

I had two cats for decades until the 20 year old died and I thought her surviving companion would probably do better as a single furchild since he wasn't young either. I enjoyed having just one cat so much that when Simon died, I replaced him with just one kitty, Sasha. When I discussed this with the vet, he said that some cats will enjoy having a playmate, but mostly, they don't care one way or the other. Go with what feels right for you. I can tell you from personal experience that 2 cats are more than twice the work of one cat, and it progresses exponentially from there.

Many humane groups will insist that the cat be an indoor animal.

Good input on one vs. multiple cats, thanks. Definitely leaning toward an adult cat, not really interested in a kitten at this point.

I typically have had only one at at a time, but a friend has FOUR. She volunteers at a shelter, works part-time and has no children, so she has a little more time.

The thought of all those litter boxes.....!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm all for adopting healthy mature shelter cats. Bombays -usually solid black with black paw pads- are sweetnatured and outgoing! Our Bombay boy has been so grateful for us adopting him. He shows it all the time. We wub him. ~smile~

Addressing the article: I think cat people tend not to be type A aggressive personalities. Nothing 'done' by a cat or a dog makes one not have heart attacks or strokes. I've known people who have several dogs who just cannot understand cats and don't like them. Yes, they are type As.

Glo, I think you should get a Papillon! :-) You would have so much fun. And mine just sleep all day when I'm not home. I have 2 Papillons and 2 cats, and we have a very happy family. When I had one Papillon and one cat, it seemed as though the cat was pining for another kitty friend, so I got a second one. Then when my first Papillon died, I wanted to get two as puppies so they would have a playmate. It has worked out in all respects for us, although it is true that 2 dogs is WAY more work than 1. 1 is easier to handle and travel with.

If I were to get a dog, I'd get two. They like company, and I'm not home much.

For now, we're just sticking with cats. Or, right now, cat.

When Snickers' "sister" died, Snickers desperately wanted company. She was very needy, stuck to us like velcro, etc. for quite a while. She never did like being alone. So we got Chloe, and it definitely wasn't love at first sight but they learned to tolerate each other and did cuddle up during the day when sleeping.

When Snickers died last summer, we watched Chloe to see what she would do. As near as we can tell, she's OK being an only cat. No clinging, no neediness, no velcro. She is more subdued than she was when Snickers was alive (she was always defending her territory, which was most of the house), but she doesn't seem depressed. Just more grown up. We've decided for now that she's best as an only cat.

So it depends on the cat.