Cats Might Not Reduce Your Stress as Much as You Thought

We’ve all heard that pets are great stress relievers. But new research suggests the story may be more complicated.

Researchers tracked nearly 200 dog and cat owners, collecting almost 8,000 real-time reports about their moods, stress levels, and interactions with their pets.

Here’s the good news: Spending time with dogs or cats makes people feel happier in the moment. Both types of pets provided similar emotional boosts.

But when it came to stressful situations, researchers found something surprising. Neither dogs nor cats appeared to reduce the emotional impact of stress.

But during upsetting moments, playing with a cat was actually linked to stronger negative emotions.

Overall, pets are still good for your mental health. They just might not be the stress-fighting superheroes we thought.

(Study Finds)