Can a Cat be Good for your Health?

AUTHOR: Kim Hurley
PHOTOS: Kim Hurley

A cat purring on our lap is more healing than any drug in the world,
as the vibrations you receive are pure love and contentment. 

People come from all over the world to experience the beautiful nature of Costa Rica. Most want a healthier lifestyle and seek to heal physically, mentally, and/or spiritually. Costa Rica offers retreats with everything from meditation, breathwork, energy healing, chakra alignment, sound healing, and plant medicine ceremonies, to name a few. But is there something else in Costa Rica that we may be missing with healing abilities?

Cats have always felt when we're not feeling well and even where we hurt. Got a headache? A tummy ache and these lovely pets can't seem to get off your stomach. They just turn on their purr medicine! They just seem to snuggle around your head.

It has always been believed that a cat's purr was relaxing and stress-reducing, leading to many health benefits, such as lowering blood pressure. Studies have shown that the purr is more than just relaxing.

Science has known for many years that sound vibrations at specific levels or frequencies cause healing changes in the body. Cats purr with a consistent pattern and frequency between 25 and 150 Hertz. Studies show that sound frequencies in this range can improve bone density and promote healing. Bone fractures heal faster, and weakened bones begin to strengthen and rebuild. There is also substantial documentation that low-frequency vibration induces pain relief and recovery of tendons and muscles, and cats purr at those frequencies!

This association between the frequencies of a cat's purr and improved healing of bones and muscles may provide help for us humans. In the higher frequency ranges, the production of the body's own natural anti-inflammatory compounds increases, thereby reducing joint pain and swelling. The evidence of muscle, tendon, and ligament repair within these frequency ranges has led to some popularity in sports medicine and gyms worldwide.

But it's the cat's "healing by association" that most people find interesting. Studies have shown that owners, especially senior citizens, who have cats can live longer than humans who don't. The ability of a cat to sympathetically help cure illnesses in people simply by being around them.

Many individuals swear they can ease or completely eliminate their migraine headaches simply by lying down with a purring cat next to their head.

Can't hit that minimum recommended daily dose of bone-enriching calcium? Maybe holding a cat close may prove to be the answer to brittle bones!

Having surgery? Keeping a cat nearby may reduce your recovery time after coming home.

Although it is tempting to think that cats purr because they are happy, it is more plausible that purring is a potential source of self-healing for them and you. So, adopt a cat in Costa Rica! 

There are many waiting for a forever home at El Refugio in Uvita! You will likely be healthier and have a great friend who truly understands how you're feeling.