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Unlocking the physical and mental health benefits of cats · The Hissing Feline

• 0:01
  SPEAKER_03: Cats offer a lot of enjoyment to our lives.
• 0:03
  SPEAKER_03: Watching Fluffy play with a toy mouse or scamper across the floor to catch a ball is as entertaining for us as it is for the cat.
• 0:12
  SPEAKER_03: This edition of the Hissing Feline focuses on the ways cats benefit humans.
• 0:17
  SPEAKER_03: Stay here to learn about the positive effects felines have on our physical and mental health.
• 0:25
  SPEAKER_03: Hi, I'm Clark Greer, retired communications professor, a full-time cat dad, and host of the Hissing Feline, a podcast that is about everything cats.
• 0:36
  SPEAKER_03: Each week, cat specialists share their expertise in everything from feline health, training, and adoption to fostering community cats and kittens.
• 0:46
  SPEAKER_03: Now let's get started with today's show.
• 0:51
  SPEAKER_03: Welcome to this week's edition of the Hissing Feline Podcast.
• 0:55
  SPEAKER_03: I'm glad you've joined me.
• 0:57
  SPEAKER_03: Several podcast episodes have featured topics about how humans can care for their cats' health.
• 1:03
  SPEAKER_03: This episode kind of turns that around and looks at how cats can help their humans.
• 1:08
  SPEAKER_03: With me today is Dr.
• 1:10
  SPEAKER_03: Erica Monaco, owner and medical director of Highlands Animal Care in Henderson, Nevada.
• 1:16
  SPEAKER_03: Dr.
• 1:16
  SPEAKER_03: Monaco, it's a pleasure having you on the podcast today.
• 1:20
  SPEAKER_04: Thank you.
• 1:20
  SPEAKER_04: I really appreciate the invite.
• 1:22
  SPEAKER_03: Now, I'm guessing that most of the listeners to the podcast are probably cat people, that would make a lot of sense.
• 1:28
  SPEAKER_03: But some people grew up with dogs.
• 1:32
  SPEAKER_03: Some people are really animal people, so they've had dogs and cats growing up around that household, and maybe they do right now.
• 1:39
  SPEAKER_03: But there may be people that are only acquainted with cats.
• 1:43
  SPEAKER_03: And I think it's important to look at the different perspectives of cat and dog interaction.
• 1:49
  SPEAKER_03: What types of differences are people going to experience?
• 1:53
  SPEAKER_04: I think that's a very good question.
• 1:55
  SPEAKER_04: Cats are very different from dogs and how they interact with their humans.
• 2:02
  SPEAKER_04: A lot of their interactions can be, they're not as like overly excited, like how you would see a dog that brings the toy to the door and wags their tail, but cats can be a little bit more quiet in how they show their affection.
• 2:17
  SPEAKER_04: I mean, one of the common things is just a cat wanting to come and sit next to you while you're watching TV, or especially while you're working on a laptop, they like to come and you know sit next to the laptop and press some buttons and they do, yeah.
• 2:31
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, so I think their interactions are uh are different, and I think it's very important for us to have a uh an open mind when we and try not to compare cats versus dogs because they they just speak a different language.
• 2:43
  SPEAKER_03: In the past week, couple weeks, we uh we talked to somebody about cat communication, and so there was a lot of really interesting things, and obviously cats and dogs really communicate differently, even like the wagtail that are that are pretty obvious.
• 2:59
  SPEAKER_03: A cat wags its tail and you're thinking, no, I think I'm done for the day.
• 3:03
  SPEAKER_03: So just understanding those differences, some of the basic differences is really important.
• 3:08
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, I think I mean definitely when a cat starts flapping their tail on the ground and so usually they're they're they're kind of done with the interaction.
• 3:16
  SPEAKER_04: Also, cats typically don't tolerate pushing interaction or forcing affection the way that our canine companions will so uh a lot of times we'll find, well, they'll come to you, or if we a lot of uh cat owners will even come and say, like, oh, they'll come to you, don't try to pick her up, or don't try to pick him up.
• 3:36
  SPEAKER_04: But then, you know, once you have that kind of calming energy and and just can kind of sit with them, they'll they'll come and visit.
• 3:42
  SPEAKER_04: I do some mobile visits, and I was uh visiting with a client the other day, and one of her cats came out and she's like, she never comes out.
• 3:51
  SPEAKER_04: And she came and she just threw herself on the ground in front of us and was showing her belly and rubbing on the floor.
• 3:57
  SPEAKER_04: Uh she's like, she doesn't do that with anybody.
• 4:00
  SPEAKER_04: Normally she hides, you know, under the bed when a new person comes.
• 4:03
  SPEAKER_04: But you know, it's I think cats feel energy differently and they they tend to they'll decide to come into your space versus you kind of pushing yourself into their space.
• 4:13
  SPEAKER_03: Cats definitely, if you want them to do something, they probably won't just because you've told them you like them to do it, but a dog has come and it's like, yes, I'm really happier.
• 4:23
  SPEAKER_03: Those are things to consider when you relate to uh to cats.
• 4:27
  SPEAKER_03: But cat human bonding is really an important part of what cats do to humans.
• 4:33
  SPEAKER_03: And uh so what what are some things about that we should know about those types of bonds?
• 4:38
  SPEAKER_04: They can be very calming and very um helpful for companionship.
• 4:43
  SPEAKER_04: There's been a couple different studies that just look in general, just of pets being around um humans, and it can help to lower blood pressure, decrease cortisol, help with you know calming presence.
• 4:56
  SPEAKER_04: I mean, watching like there's this, there's a very good study about watching cat videos and watching cats play and stuff and how that can help to decrease stress uh and promote um healthy emotions.
• 5:08
  SPEAKER_04: And then just having that that other presence, sometimes just having that that you know, your cat kind of crawl up on your lap or being in the same room can just just help you feel less less alone.
• 5:20
  SPEAKER_04: Another really um wonderful interaction that I get to see is I work with an assisted living community and they allow uh people to have have pets.
• 5:29
  SPEAKER_04: And uh quite a few of the um the residents there have cats and they're easier for them to take care of because there's they're not having to like take them outside and take them for walks, and uh so it's a little bit easier for them to take care of cat, but also it just provides them that companionship and that kind of camaraderie in those uh those facilities.
• 5:49
  SPEAKER_03: And we'll talk a little bit more shortly about cats uh can help people in specific situations, and we'll talk a little bit about that in a minute.
• 5:57
  SPEAKER_03: How do cats demonstrate connections with their humans?
• 6:01
  SPEAKER_04: So a couple different things.
• 6:02
  SPEAKER_04: One is that they will come and be in your presence, they'll come be in the same room as you.
• 6:06
  SPEAKER_04: Uh, they can come rub up on your leg.
• 6:09
  SPEAKER_04: Some of them will actually bring you some unwanted gifts from outside.
• 6:13
  SPEAKER_04: Um that they think is um a gift that they're bringing you, but you may not really be as happy about some of the gifts, but they will they can bring you a, you know, they might bring you a toy or a gift.
• 6:27
  SPEAKER_04: And then there's a like they can sit across the room and just have a kind of slow blink where they just kind of look at you.
• 6:33
  SPEAKER_04: And cats, I think I they do more of a inviting us to be in their presence.
• 6:37
  SPEAKER_04: And I I think honestly, a lot of times it's just that they choose to be to be present and to be where you're at.
• 6:43
  SPEAKER_03: We should be honored if a cat comes to us and shows affection to us and is nice.
• 6:49
  SPEAKER_03: That was a great story you had earlier about uh being in somebody's household, and you probably didn't know that cat.
• 6:55
  SPEAKER_03: And so with your clinic work and you didn't know that cat, but the cat, if it sensed that you are a veterinarian or a cat person or something, it's very interesting how cats make those types of selections.
• 7:07
  SPEAKER_04: It was very interesting.
• 7:08
  SPEAKER_04: I mean, we were there to see a dog, so I mean, I guess the cat knew we weren't there to do veterinary care on it.
• 7:14
  SPEAKER_04: Maybe that's more like you're a vet, I'm gonna go hide.
• 7:18
  SPEAKER_04: But I I mean, I guess she knew we weren't there to to do anything with her, so she just wanted to come and be part of the process and didn't want to be ignored, that's for sure.
• 7:26
  SPEAKER_03: There's an idea that cats select humans versus humans selecting a cat.
• 7:32
  SPEAKER_03: And there's a there's a phrase that I've heard other people use, and I even used it with uh some some friends whose cat passed, and they got some two little kittens.
• 7:42
  SPEAKER_03: And I said something about uh that they were the recipients of the cat distribution system.
• 7:48
  SPEAKER_03: Is that kind of how that worked?
• 7:49
  SPEAKER_03: The cats actually select the humans.
• 7:52
  SPEAKER_04: I think that cats select an energy, like an energy that matches how they communicate.
• 7:58
  SPEAKER_04: So I think that they select a human based on what their boundaries are and what affection looks like for them and those types of um interactions that help to make them feel comfortable as well.
• 8:12
  SPEAKER_04: So I mean I noticed that like another good example I have is the cat that has I she selected my dad.
• 8:19
  SPEAKER_04: And he's not really into like having you know pets all over him in Lobby Dabby, but at the same time though, having a routine and her show up, so she every time he would get ready for work, she would show up in his closet and lay down in front of him for him to reach down and scratch her.
• 8:35
  SPEAKER_04: And she loved to be scratched kind of rough on her back.
• 8:37
  SPEAKER_04: She's very but that was her thing that she would do.
• 8:40
  SPEAKER_04: And they did this like every day that he would get ready for work, and it was a routine.
• 8:44
  SPEAKER_04: And she just, and then when there was you know thunder or like sounds outside, she said, one of the cats typically don't have thunderphobia, but she kind of does not like fireworks and loud noises.
• 8:55
  SPEAKER_04: So she'll go and she'll cuddle up and crawl under the the the comforter you know with him with that.
• 9:01
  SPEAKER_04: But in general, she sits, she like her primary place is she sleeps in in that in a different room, but then she comes out and is present with him when he's up doing certain things.
• 9:12
  SPEAKER_04: And so I think for her, like that's just the that's the energy that and the affection that she looks for, and then it matches his energy.
• 9:21
  SPEAKER_04: So I think there's some of it is a yeah, I think they do choose us in a way, but I think they're choosing an energy and in a communication style that is similar to their own.
• 9:30
  SPEAKER_03: Well, they're pretty perceptive.
• 9:31
  SPEAKER_03: I'm not sure people give cats a lot of credit for their observation abilities and how they make those types of connections.
• 9:38
  SPEAKER_03: It's like they sense this person.
• 9:40
  SPEAKER_03: I don't know if they can sense if they're really high strong or if they're relaxed or they if they're matching how the cat feels then.
• 9:47
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
• 9:48
  SPEAKER_04: I mean, I would say cats are definitely perceptive on those types of things.
• 9:52
  SPEAKER_04: It just in a veterinary setting, you know, if I have a uh a team member who is a little bit more worried about how to, you know, handle or or restrain a cat, like that nervous energy can come across.
• 10:03
  SPEAKER_04: So I can switch to a different team member who's super comfortable with fear-free handling techniques with cats, and that cat is is totally calm and um goes does really well for the you know their visit and whatever we need to do.
• 10:16
  SPEAKER_04: So I've seen it happen with certain with different cats that'll come in that the energy of the person that is handling them can change the entire business.
• 10:25
  SPEAKER_04: So if that person's very high, high energy, sometimes that cat's like, uh no, we're not doing that today.
• 10:33
  SPEAKER_03: Well, I would be you were talking about the benefits of cats for being calming.
• 10:39
  SPEAKER_03: And so that's one of the main things is mental health benefits of having a cat.
• 10:44
  SPEAKER_03: And I uh I think people really feel that when they have a cat, especially when that's really close to them.
• 10:50
  SPEAKER_03: Uh let's talk about that a little bit.
• 10:52
  SPEAKER_03: Uh what types of benefits can people experience from the mental health perspective?
• 10:58
  SPEAKER_04: I think companionship is probably one of the is probably one of the top things there is just having that that presence of you know that of that pet or that of that cat, petting them, having the you know, responsibility or routine of you know feeding them or brushing them or grooming them or whatever that routine is.
• 11:20
  SPEAKER_04: Uh, I think being able to, you know, you can kind of re rely upon you for you know food and you know food and care, but at the same time, they also can give people purpose and something that they have to get up and do each day.
• 11:32
  SPEAKER_04: So I think the mental health benefits, uh, a lot of the researchers are more just looking at in general with pets in general.
• 11:40
  SPEAKER_04: Um, it's harder to say like specifically cats specific, but in general, pet ownership and having having that interaction has shown to decrease cortisol and decrease stress and actually increase, I think, oxytocin.
• 11:55
  SPEAKER_04: There's a lot of mental health benefits of just having something that you rely on and that relies on you in that companionship.
• 12:02
  SPEAKER_03: Aaron Powell You were talking about decreasing stress, and I know if somebody's anxious or they're really concerned about something, and just to have a cat lay in their lap or to show attention to that cat, I think that cat is actually giving back to that person that really helps to reduce those anxious feelings.
• 12:21
  SPEAKER_04: Aaron Powell They do.
• 12:22
  SPEAKER_04: I and another an another personal story is um there was sometimes stressful stuff going on at work the other day, and one of my team members has a really cute munchkin kitten that is like, I think she's like 14 weeks old, and she had him there for some stuff, but I went and grabbed him out of the kettle.
• 12:39
  SPEAKER_04: And I was like, and sat and sat in the office with him, and he just he just sat there and just purred and with me, and he actually sat with me in the office for probably 30 minutes and just very quietly played with a few things on the desk.
• 12:54
  SPEAKER_04: And then that small interaction, just the rest of my day, just I felt more calm and was able to focus more on my work uh just with that short interaction.
• 13:03
  SPEAKER_04: And in that particular, having that cat wasn't even my own cat, but um, but just being able to set to sit with them kind of just helped to change the trajectory of my day.
• 13:14
  SPEAKER_03: Maybe companies should adopt that where they bring in a cat.
• 13:18
  SPEAKER_03: It can be the uh mascot for the office, and if somebody's really having a stressful or bad day, is that here, here's a cat.
• 13:25
  SPEAKER_03: You know, it's true, you know, and uh I was talking about our friends that just got these new kittens.
• 13:31
  SPEAKER_03: Oh, they are so cute.
• 13:32
  SPEAKER_03: I love kittens.
• 13:34
  SPEAKER_03: And it just gave me a joy to uh to see them as if they wanted us over to kind of help socialize the kittens a little bit.
• 13:42
  SPEAKER_03: And uh it's I'm thrilled, I was thrilled to be able to be around the cats.
• 13:46
  SPEAKER_03: I think it's just the uplift of of having uh a feline like that, especially, you know, they're they're really bouncy and in activity, but uh it was just it really creates a sense of happiness and joy in somebody's life.
• 14:01
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, and they they find fascination with the most random things.
• 14:05
  SPEAKER_04: Like you give a cat a cat toy, and sometimes they're just like, eh, but they'll find a twisty tie and they will spend an hour playing with a twisty tie.
• 14:14
  SPEAKER_04: So they just they find so much entertainment in some of the smallest things.
• 14:18
  SPEAKER_03: So we were just talking about mental health benefits.
• 14:20
  SPEAKER_03: Another thing that's kind of related is human mood improvement.
• 14:24
  SPEAKER_03: And you were watching, you were talking about watching cat videos can improve mood.
• 14:28
  SPEAKER_04: Yes, I mean it improves my own mood.
• 14:30
  SPEAKER_04: I can tell you that there's times I will, I there's been some posts lately, just I like there's like the cat versus dog or this W cat WWF little videos of these cats playing with each other or how they interact with another um with another pet.
• 14:47
  SPEAKER_04: And you just laugh.
• 14:49
  SPEAKER_04: I mean, it's just it's entertaining the stuff that they will do.
• 14:51
  SPEAKER_04: And cats' movements are so they're very acrobatic, and they're able to do things that you're like, how did you how did you even manage to do that?
• 15:00
  SPEAKER_04: Or they get into spaces that you can't even believe that they got into.
• 15:04
  SPEAKER_04: I mean joke around sometimes that like I think they're more liquid than they are that's true.
• 15:09
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 15:09
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, because they can like melt into a bowl, and you're like, how did you even get in there?
• 15:15
  SPEAKER_04: But but it's just it's fascinating and fun to watch.
• 15:18
  SPEAKER_04: And there um there was a study um that was done in 2015 by Jessica Gallmurick that looked at uh this the effect of people watching cat videos.
• 15:32
  SPEAKER_04: And they did show that people had more positive emotions and fewer negative emotions after watching cat-related content.
• 15:39
  SPEAKER_04: So there are some studies that actually show that you know watching cat videos isn't is not us wasting time on social media.
• 15:46
  SPEAKER_03: Well, I always contend that no, I'm not wasting time.
• 15:49
  SPEAKER_03: I'm watching cats do funny things on videos.
• 15:51
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, I'm working on my own emotional regulation today.
• 15:55
  SPEAKER_03: There you are.
• 15:56
  SPEAKER_03: Recently we had the uh producer of the uh cat video fest on, and um, and and my wife and I went to a theater to watch it about about that time in August.
• 16:09
  SPEAKER_03: It was such a fun thing.
• 16:11
  SPEAKER_03: It's very uplifting, and it's uh not only entertaining for the cat, but it really does help humans from that standpoint.
• 16:19
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, absolutely.
• 16:21
  SPEAKER_03: Now let's talk about physical benefits.
• 16:23
  SPEAKER_03: We've kind of focused on the mental and the emotional side of it, but cats actually do have physical benefits on on humans.
• 16:32
  SPEAKER_03: Uh one that you were alluding to was human physical activity.
• 16:37
  SPEAKER_03: And there's different ways uh of doing cat enrichment, but it also helps us because we're developing these bonds with a cat by doing some type of activity.
• 16:47
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, I think, I mean, with cats, I mean, usually we're not taking the majority of us aren't taking them out for walks, though I do have a client that has two bangles that walk that do hikes every day and they walk on harnesses.
• 16:59
  SPEAKER_04: And so um it does actually get him out walking and doing that type of activity.
• 17:04
  SPEAKER_04: But in general, most of our cats are homebodies and would rather stay in the house.
• 17:08
  SPEAKER_04: But there's definitely um, you know, you know, playing with toys with them and stuff that can help kind of get us up moving around, you know, and definitely interacting with our cats.
• 17:20
  SPEAKER_04: And then just the act of actually taking care of them, like just getting their litter box changed and and having to do those things.
• 17:26
  SPEAKER_04: It just gets us up moving around and something that we have to do and take care of.
• 17:30
  SPEAKER_04: But a lot of the physical benefits of pet ownership have been focused on dogs because you have to take a dog out and walk.
• 17:38
  SPEAKER_04: But um I there are plenty of people that will take their cats and walk around in their backyard or um and do some other physical activities with them.
• 17:49
  SPEAKER_03: We have some friends out in Southern California, and uh we remember them putting their cat in a cat's little pet stroller and taking what so they took walks.
• 17:59
  SPEAKER_03: So as they were entertaining, because the cat loved it, the cat would they had a dog and the cat would jump into the carrier because it wanted to go for a walk too.
• 18:07
  SPEAKER_03: And of course, the cat wasn't getting much exercise in the stroller, but the person was, and so they were doing something with the cat.
• 18:13
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, so if you have a cat that actually likes going outdoors and will and do those types of things, it can definitely get you out and doing more physical activity.
• 18:22
  SPEAKER_03: Now, purring is another thing that we could talk about.
• 18:26
  SPEAKER_03: I just love to pet our calico because she likes to purr.
• 18:29
  SPEAKER_03: I she's just a happy little cat, but purring can help people as much as it can express happiness from the cat.
• 18:38
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, and that's because they're showing affection.
• 18:40
  SPEAKER_04: When they're purring, then we know that they're happy, like that's a happy thing for for cats.
• 18:45
  SPEAKER_04: And so we know that whatever it is that we're doing with them sitting with us or whatever, that they're that's them showing pleasure and happiness to be spending that time with us.
• 18:55
  SPEAKER_04: And I think that and it probably goes back to that releasing oxytocin is it's that feel-good, those, those feel-good hormones that that have uplifting qualities.
• 19:05
  SPEAKER_04: And purring is a positive thing.
• 19:07
  SPEAKER_04: So when a cat purrs, usually that means they're they're happy and they're content with the situation.
• 19:14
  SPEAKER_04: And it and um I think there's still a lot more to be done as far as looking at research as far as like the vibrations that that does and how that can affect a human physiology.
• 19:24
  SPEAKER_04: I think we're still kind of in our infancy with studying some of those types of things.
• 19:28
  SPEAKER_04: But what we do know about purring is that we know that that's a positive response from the cat, and that's telling us that what we're doing they like.
• 19:36
  SPEAKER_03: And it can make us happy, knowing that the cat is happy, these types of things.
• 19:40
  SPEAKER_03: Cats can have a big benefit to individuals with special types of needs.
• 19:45
  SPEAKER_03: And I'm thinking of people with PTSD or other other types of traumas.
• 19:49
  SPEAKER_03: And we kind of talked about this recently when we visited In general.
• 19:53
  SPEAKER_04: What we say, like emotional support animals, they can help people deal with high anxiety, with stress, with and help to again calming calming stress hormones.
• 20:03
  SPEAKER_04: The research on PTSD has been pretty limited to sp to dogs because that they can be trained for specific, like that they detect high heart rates or they can detect a panic attack.
• 20:14
  SPEAKER_04: I I think we just haven't done the research on the cat side specifically for PTSD, but in emotional types of things, I think there's been a few studies that have looked at kids with autism and how they can interact with uh a cat and how they it can create a calming presence for them and and be emotionally beneficial and calming for uh for kids with autism.
• 20:38
  SPEAKER_03: So cats are cats are really beneficial in those particular situations.
• 20:42
  SPEAKER_03: Um let's wrap up the show by talking about practical benefits of cats.
• 20:48
  SPEAKER_03: There are a lot, I listed off a whole bunch, and I know we're not gonna hit them, but maybe you could talk about here's some practical things what cats can do for people.
• 20:56
  SPEAKER_04: Is having a pet that you rely on that you you know, having that cat that you uh that that you're feeding every day, it can help create routines and habits and can help uh decompress like stress.
• 21:08
  SPEAKER_04: So like when you come home from work and your cat greets you and maybe there's some treats that you give them, or you spend 10-15 minutes with a laser pointer or some type of a toy with them, and uh it can just help decompress that that day, um the stress away from the day.
• 21:24
  SPEAKER_04: Um also with people that live by them by themselves, and let's say that they do they do work 12-hour days or they just you know they do a lot of shift work.
• 21:33
  SPEAKER_04: A dog, you know, the practical ownership of a dog is probably a lot more difficult in those situations because cats are very good at taking care of themselves for the most part.
• 21:43
  SPEAKER_04: They're very easy to potty train, quote unquote, because they naturally use a substrate and use a litter box.
• 21:50
  SPEAKER_04: And typically cats will you know, they sleep a lot of the day, they don't require as much of I need somebody to be there present all the time, or I'm gonna tear up your entire house.
• 22:01
  SPEAKER_03: That's true.
• 22:02
  SPEAKER_04: So I think you can get a lot of great benefits from pet ownership having a cat, even if your your lifestyle doesn't allow you to be home as as much as you would need to be for a dog.
• 22:14
  SPEAKER_04: Also, I think with kids and stuff too, is also teaching them practical pet ownership and pet care.
• 22:21
  SPEAKER_04: It's again they they don't require as as much like hands-on as it as a as a dog might.
• 22:29
  SPEAKER_04: And then also when I what I've seen in the assisted living facilities that um that allow pets, um, you know, somebody who's in a wheelchair otherwise and can't, you know, take the dog out for a while, like having that cat that is, you know, that's present and you know they're able to feed them and somebody's able to come and you know clean a litter box, you know, a few times a week, or you have one of those like litter robots, like it can decrease the amount of um hands-on care that somebody who has like physical disabilities um might have with a different pet, but they can still get that same pet, that benefit of having having that cat that relies on them and purrs and sits on their chest and gives them that affection.
• 23:11
  SPEAKER_04: So I think what I've seen in in those facilities, I think that makes a huge difference in the quality of those residents' lives.
• 23:18
  SPEAKER_03: And actually, uh cats are really good icebreakers, and that's one of the things I had written.
• 23:24
  SPEAKER_03: They're good icebreakers in social settings.
• 23:26
  SPEAKER_03: And so my first question when I talk to somebody is do you like cats?
• 23:30
  SPEAKER_03: I try to tell them about you know listening to all the things in the podcast, not because of me, but because I have great guests that help us uh like you've done today.
• 23:39
  SPEAKER_03: And uh they're great icebreakers.
• 23:40
  SPEAKER_03: In fact, I'll spend a whole time talking about cats.
• 23:43
  SPEAKER_03: I have to really watch it because uh I love our cats and I love I love just talking about them.
• 23:48
  SPEAKER_04: It's so it's it's you know, you can see people light up when they get to talk about their, they talk about their cat, their pet like at home.
• 23:55
  SPEAKER_04: And like they can be a very strong introvert, be very uncomfortable in a social setting.
• 24:00
  SPEAKER_04: And it's brought up like, well, do you have any pets or do you have a cat?
• 24:03
  SPEAKER_04: And they start talking about their cat, and then all of a sudden they completely light up.
• 24:07
  SPEAKER_04: And now all that social awkwardness and social anxiety that they were feeling, like just kind of melts away as they talk about that interaction with their cat with and the funny things that they do and how they spend their time with their feline companion.
• 24:22
  SPEAKER_04: Uh it's definitely a great social icebreaker.
• 24:25
  SPEAKER_04: It's a great way to start talking to somebody is to start talking about their pets and what and what they do in a social situation.
• 24:34
  SPEAKER_04: If you're a strong introvert, you're super uncomfortable, or not sure what to say, just talking about uh starting to talk about um a pet or even asking somebody who you think is a little comfortable, like, do you have a cat?
• 24:45
  SPEAKER_04: Or you'll see them completely light up when they get to talk about their their companionship and that relationship that they have.
• 24:51
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, and it starts connections and people make connections based on that.
• 24:54
  SPEAKER_03: And it's it's it's really nice.
• 24:55
  SPEAKER_03: And I kid about how much I talk about the cats, but I've had really interesting conversations with the cat owners about what their experiences are.
• 25:03
  SPEAKER_03: But cat cats are more than just pets and they make important contributions to physical and mental health, including felines as emotional support animals and companions for seniors.
• 25:13
  SPEAKER_03: Dr.
• 25:14
  SPEAKER_03: Erica Monaco has helped us to see the everyday benefits of having cats in our lives.
• 25:19
  SPEAKER_03: Doctor, thank you very much for talking about this today on the podcast.
• 25:23
  SPEAKER_04: Thank you for having me.
• 25:24
  SPEAKER_04: I'm very appreciative.
• 25:26
  SPEAKER_03: I've been talking with Dr.
• 25:27
  SPEAKER_03: Erica Monaco, owner and medical director of the Highlands Animal Care Clinic in Henderson, Nevada.
• 25:35
  SPEAKER_03: Please tell your friends about the Hissing Feline and click the follow button where you listen to the show.
• 25:41
  SPEAKER_03: Also, I would appreciate you leaving us a five-star rating to help other people find the podcast.
• 25:46
  SPEAKER_03: Do you find it a challenge when it's time to take your cat to the veterinarian?
• 25:50
  SPEAKER_03: Then you'll want to join me next week on the Hissing Feline podcast when Dr.
• 25:55
  SPEAKER_03: Elizabeth Chapman talks about preparing for stress-free veterinary visits with your cat.
• 26:01
  SPEAKER_03: Coming next is this week's Inspirational Cat Story.
• 26:05
  SPEAKER_03: Remember to keep purring.
• 26:13
  SPEAKER_02: This is Inspirational Cat Stories.
• 26:16
  SPEAKER_02: Tales about the joys and quirks of cat ownership.
• 26:20
  SPEAKER_00: Hi, my name is Sharon and I'm from Iowa.
• 26:25
  SPEAKER_00: Romeo was our 19-year-old cat who loved to cuddle when I would lay on the sofa.
• 26:32
  SPEAKER_00: It was a nightly ritual and I loved it.
• 26:35
  SPEAKER_00: He was so content laying at my feet, but when daddy came home from work, he would wake up immediately and jump off the sofa and run to greet his daddy.
• 26:47
  SPEAKER_00: Romeo has always been such a loving cat.
• 26:50
  SPEAKER_00: We had him for 19 years.
• 26:52
  SPEAKER_00: He would greet everyone who came to our home by rubbing his paws on their feet.
• 26:58
  SPEAKER_00: I would even have to get him away from workmen who came in to do repairs.
• 27:02
  SPEAKER_00: He's no longer with us, but we will always have a special place in our hearts for Romeo.
• 27:09
  SPEAKER_02: You've been listening to Inspirational Cat Stories, a weekly feature of the Hissing Feline podcast.
• 27:17
  SPEAKER_03: Do you have a humorous, thoughtful, or fun story that you want to share with listeners of the Hissing Feline?
• 27:24
  SPEAKER_03: Visit the contact page on the podcast website at the HissingFeline.com.
• 27:30
  SPEAKER_03: Scroll down to Inspiring Cat Stories and click the Submission Info button for complete details.
• 27:37
  SPEAKER_01: Content on the Hissing Feline Podcast is for information and entertainment purposes only and is not intended to provide medical, veterinary, or legal advice.
• 27:49
  SPEAKER_01: Please consult your veterinarian and local and state authorities before dealing with feral and stray cats.
• 27:56
  SPEAKER_01: Opinions expressed are those of the hosts and guests and not necessarily those of Duracio Cat Media LLC.
• 28:03
  SPEAKER_01: References to products or services do not imply an endorsement.
• 28:08
  SPEAKER_01: The Hissing Feline podcast is a production of Doratio Cat Media LLC and has been blessed by our rescue cats, Bridget and Maddie.
• 28:17
  SPEAKER_01: All content is used with permission or under fair use.