This podcast was fueled by a mass media article that I discovered somewhat misrepresented the findings in the original study after I’d finished the recording. When I looked up the original study, it turned out that there wasn’t enough data to conclude whether the benefits for cat-owners held for dog-owners. But even after rethinking this, it still wouldn’t surprise me if cat-owners had the edge for the reasons I mentioned.
And I’ll add one more. An MD friend is a fan of the exercise-and-cardiovascular-health-as-a-function-of-sweat school of thought; if you’re sweating, chances are you’re exercising your heart muscle which is good. I, on the other hand, am a fan of the yoga-doing-more-and-more-with-less-sweat approach. This could be because I’m not a liberated woman who is completely at-one with her body. Even though I do my share of physical labor and have had my share of hot flashes, I still feel, look, and smell gross when I sweat. While I accept this, I feel no burning desire to incorporate more sweating into my daily life.
Enter Bamboo the cat who solves this problem for me by periodically scaring the bran flakes out of me. The heart muscle gets a good, but short and sweet work-out and it’s over before the sweat glands realize what’s happened. Then he starts purring—although he might be chuckling—and wraps himself around my legs and calms my heart again…until the next time.
Works for me.
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