Has anyone actually found cats good for relieving stress?

Yeah, but only if you like them in the first place. If you hate cats to begin with, there's no point in forcing one on your lap and trying to stroke it when it's trying to make a break for the nearest cat-flap.If you're just sitting there chilling out, it can help to stroke a cat if its curled up on your lap.

Oh yes. I can tell you, getting home from work in my lunch break, gobbling up something quick, and just lying in my bed with the cat purring somewhere beside me (curled up under my arm, say) will double my productivity in the afternoon - and will help me take things a lot more calmly... Having a cat is very nice, because a cat takes a very little amount of your time - I have had a dog, and I know (I love dogs too; just my schedule is waaay too overloaded to be able to have one right now). A cat is independent and will not wreck your house if left all alone for a full day. S/he still needs you to play with him/her, pet and groom him/her, and pay attention to diet, etc. - but at least for me, it's a pleasure (it also helps me to get rid of stress, because while I am playing with the cat I cannot think of sad or distressing things - he is just sooo cute :)I hope you meet a cat that will be a good friend to you. Good luck, whatever your decision on taking a cat.Oh, if you do take a cat, have him/her fixed (neutered / spayed). I was not very sure about it, but when I decided to give a home to my cat, I did extensive research on cat health and the results were overwhelmingly FOR fixing. Just to let you know

If you find having the food stolen off your plate and your bed being shat in stress relieving then go ahead.

It's amusing to me that everyone talks about choosing whether to have a cat, but our household got chosen by a cat! I was watching Formula 1 on TV some years back when a cat walked into our sitting room – a long-haired, grey Tabby – miaowed loudly, then curled up against me. He's not left since. Until that time I'd never had much to do with cats. But yes, I now think they're great. Very subtle creatures. But you've got to love them and be able to make room for them in your life or it's never going to work!

scientific work point to all pets being good stress relievers. But please get tested first to see if cats are ok for your allergy, and learn about cat behaviour and needs, often people get a cat because they are "so easy" - not they ain't, thay need as much care and attention as a dog.at www.clickertraining.com you can learn about how to teach your cat lots of neat stuff, including coming when called.

They sure areI had a cat for 13 years and when I felt low she used to lick my tears .. she was such a darling I lost her about 3 years agoNow I have a cat who has a 7 weeks kitten and both are so fun to look at .. to me it works when I come back from a long and hectic working day .. they greet me at the door and then come and just go where ever I am the little kitten jumps up and down my feet .. simply a nice feeling to have them aroundget one and do not hesitate .. but as advised before check if you are alergic to cats hope you're not!!

cats are very goog at relieving stress as long as you get one that is not very hyper. when you sit and hold a cat and pet it the purring sound is so relaxing, i some times fall asleep. my stress reliever is a mix of many breeds. if it were a dog they would call it a mutt. it doesn't matter which gender you get. just be sure to spay or nueter it and have an inplant put in too. that way if it ever got lost they could find the owner. good luck grams

Every cat that I owned seemed to know when I had a bad day and try to make me forget about it-like my previous cat, who would jump into the window and hit the glass, then walk away like he MEANT to do it!! Made me LOL every time! (My nickname for him was "Crazy Cat")

My cats are my children, and I wouldn't live any other way than with them. I am also allergic to them, which isn't fun, but they are great. Whenever I need a shoulder to cry on, someone to listen to, or just want to chill with my kitties, they are always there willing to be pet and loved.TDK

I had a lovely cat which was a great comfort to me until it died of a stroke. HA! ( the old ones are indeed the best)

What would we do without them... is how my wife starts so many statements. Some cats are very good at looking after you when you are unhappy. One of our cats will always goes to the wife when she is unhappy.Dogs are for people who think they are the centre of the universe and cats are for those who know they are not.The link between stress relief and pets is quite strong (see link to BBC)

I should have thought if you are allergic to dogs you would be just as allergic to cats, but yes, both are good for relieving stress by stroking them. This has been shown to help bring down high blood pressure. However there is often a downside to most things, and lovely as they are, pets bring problems as well as happiness. So your new cat could just as easily add to your stress in many ways, as help to relieve it.If your only reason for wanting a pet is for stress relief, then there are other ways to achieve this, and much cheaper, such as buying a good relaxation tape/CD. I recommend Glenn Harrold "Complete Relaxation" - I have loads of this man's tapes - he is very effective.

omg if i am feeling down i get the brush and brush my persian, he loves it and it calms me so much

I have three cats and i love them dearly. yes they are excellent for relieving stress but not when one of them wee's on my brand new sofa!

Yes,I heard that if you stroke a cat,it makes you feel good and it is a good stress reliever and that is true,I have a cat and that works with me!

A definite yes! Whenever something bad happens to me, I go find the cat that lives around my house. I simply hold him and pet him. Of course, you probably want an older cat, and make sure that it's calm and relaxed. If you get a kitten who's not fixed, you might just add to your stress.

Yes, cats are very good for relieving stress. They also make wonderful companions. I've found that the purring cats make is the most soothing sound to drift off to, which is why I don't mind if my cat curls up in my lap or sleeps on the foot of the bed.Actually, as we speak one of my cats is curled up by my feet! :)However, if you are allergic to dogs, you may be susceptible to allergies connected to cats as well.The culprit is often the dander that is shed and left in the air to tickle your allergies into going nuts.I have allergies, and I still have a dog and several cats. Fortunately, after exposure to a cat or kitten, or a pup, I build up some resistance and the problem lessens until I am exposed to a different animal.For me, it's worth the extra effort to have my pets. It all depends on how severe your own allergies are, you may want to opt for a pet that is slick coated/short hair as that causes a lot less of a reaction in most allergy sufferers .

For sure - there's nothing like playing with a cat or snuggling with a cat - relieves stress, and you can talk to them. Known to lower blood pressure.

My two do a nice job of relieving my stress level, but chances are if your allergic to dogs your going to be allergic to cats to.

kittens are great stress relievers, but try to get one that is alreayd fixed so they are a little calmer...they do stupid and funny things all day long to make you laugh, comfort you when your down and are fun to play with when your bored. a cat will love you for life when no one else seems too. I look forward to coming home to my kitten everyday, gets my mind off of everything