Anyone who knows me well knows that I do not like cats. Truth be told, I’m afraid of cats; I actually believe they stare at me with malice in their hearts.
Plus, unlike with dogs, you can’t play with a cat, they don’t catch frisbees, run after balls, chase squirrels or bark like crazy when they fear their beloved humans need protection, perhaps from an Amazon delivery person or an errant plastic bag blowing in the wind.
(Participants enjoy a fun Knuckleball Comedy Team Building event in Nashville)
But I do like Mark Twain. Not only did he write great books, he’s known for many brilliant quotes. So I was surprised to come upon this story about him and his love of cats.
At one point in his life, Twain owned 19 cats, with names ranging from Beelzebub to Blatherskite to Buffalo Bill. He was obsessed with cats - they appear frequently in his stories and he seemed to prefer their company to that of people.
So here’s his quote: "If man could be crossed with the cat, it would improve man, but it would deteriorate the cat.” Wow. Maybe I need to rethink these felines that many people seem to adore.
Because it’s 2024, one quick search led me to a plethora of studies - geez, who pays for all these studies just to find out that people like their pets? The winning article gave me 15 reasons!!
They range from low maintenance (ok they don’t have to go out for walks but their poop sits in the house? gross), they’re cheaper to own than dogs, free pest control (they like to kill bugs), they live a long time (9 lives and all that), they’re easy to please, fun to dress up (don’t get me started on people who dress up their pets), they’re independent thinkers, and they make the best memes (I might have to agree there).
But then I hit on the two that finally impressed me - the oxytocin fix, that love hormone we’re so fond of at Knuckleball Comedy. Apparently petting your cat can release the same oxytocin we get from dogs, and of course, from laughter - what everyone participating in our kids classes, and our corporate team building, professional development programs experience.
Last, but definitely not least, this author claims that people with cats don’t just experience more oxytocin, they also experience better health.
Interacting with felines means lower blood pressure, less stress, less anxiety and depression, reduced risk of heart attack and more serotonin and dopamine, those other feel good chemicals.
Call me skeptical about this last one but, hey, if my cat loving friends can get these added benefits, good for them. And since my soon to be daughter-in-law and another good friend loves cats, I hope it’s all true.
Just as long as nobody leaves me alone with their cat. Unless my dog is there to protect me.
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