As I write this article, I have a purring kitty on my lap. She always seems to know when I need extra comfort. I began to wonder – can cats help with physical pain?
As it turns out, researchers have looked into the ways that pets can help with health and well-being, and more specifically, how they can help their owners with chronic pain management.
The research is based around an idea commonly accepted in pain management: The social and psychological influences on our experience of pain. The research on the association between having a pet and the psychosocial effects on pain is really only just beginning.
Having a pet can potentially help people to use pain management strategies.
In 2015, researchers Bradley and Bennett studied the effectiveness of pets in managing chronic pain in adults. They discovered that people who actively use interactions with animals to manage their pain reported lower pain levels than other pet owners.
More recently in 2020, Janevic and their research team examined the role of pet ownership in pain management in older adults. They found a variety of ways that having a pet helped people with management strategies that have shown in the research literature to help people with chronic pain.
Based on some of Janevic’s research findings, here are 9 ways your cat could help with your chronic pain.
1. Increasing positive mood
When we feel low or anxious, it can affect our experience of pain. People who took part in the study told of many different ways that their pets helped to improve their mood.
Pets helped them to feel loved and gave them companionship, which gave the pet owners a sense of emotional support.
People’s pets also made them laugh and brought joy to their lives.
I’m sure every cat owner can relate to this aspect of having a feline companion. Kitties can get themselves into some hilarious situations and have the funniest of expressions.
When I’m playing with or petting my cat, it seems to keep my focus on the present moment. It stops me from ruminating over things that have happened during the day, or worrying about things that might happen in the future.
Enjoying being in the moment with a pet certainly seems to help lift our mood, which in turn can affect our experience of the pain and our ability to cope with it.
2. Enhancing your belief in your own abilities
Pets were also a way for older adults with pain to provide care for another, rather than being the one receiving care.
It gave them a sense of responsibility and purpose. The researchers suggest that this could help increase a person’s belief in their ability to achieve things for themselves, which can help them to cope with and manage the pain more effectively.
3. Helping you to relax
People in the study spoke about how their pet provided comfort, and had a calming effect, which helped with relaxation. The presence of their pet was soothing.
I don’t know about you, but if I’ve had a hard day and there’s nobody available for a hug, I have the urge to seek out my cat and settle down next to them. They can give off such a peaceful vibe.
Her purr is so gentle and relaxing, and she has the softest fur to snuggle – cats are the ultimate little package of ‘chill’.
After spending a few moments with my kitty, I notice that my shoulders are more relaxed, my jaw becomes unclenched and I’m soon feeling more relaxed and soothed.
4. Providing a distraction from the pain
Participants in the study mentioned how focusing on their pet took their focus away from the pain, and helped them to forget about it.
“The pleasurable distraction that pets bring to daily life may reduce catastrophic thinking and hypervigilance common among people with chronic pain.” (Janevic et al., 2020)
Playing with my cat really does help distract me from the pain when it’s severe. While I’m watching her playful antics, I’m no longer focused on my own body and my pain – I’m too busy trying to capture the fun on video.
5. Encouraging you to stay active
It’s important to maintain a level of physical activity, even when in pain. When you live with severe chronic pain, this can be easier said than done, but having a pet can force you to get up and do things, even when you’re in pain.
People who took part in the study described how their pets ensured they stayed physically active. Some people walked their cats outdoors, and even the regular and necessary physical activity involved in feeding and cleaning litter trays, and bending to pick pets up helps to keep people physically active.
The researchers found that taking care of the regular needs of a pet encouraged people to persist in doing tasks while they were experiencing pain, rather than restricting movement to guard against increasing pain.
6. Motivating and energizing you
We can sometimes struggle to be motivated if we don’t have reason to be, especially when our pain is severe or we’re really tired. As with having young children, having a cat who is dependent on us forces us into action.
When your cat is waiting to be fed, or needs their litter tray to be cleaned, you have no choice but to find the energy to do it. Cats tend to be very persistent when you don’t get up and serve their needs immediately!
Just being around a spritely feline with their playful antics can make you feel energized, even when you’re in severe pain.
7. Helping you stick to a routine
People in the also study mentioned that having a pet forced them stick to a routine.
Obviously, cats need to be fed and watered at regular intervals, their litter tray needs to be cleaned regularly. They often like to be let in or out of the home at certain times of the day.
Cats seem to prefer to have things happen at regular times – my furry friend makes a lot of noise if I’m not up and about by a certain time every morning. I can almost have her as a replacement alarm clock!
Kitties can help provide a structure to your day and give you a sense of routine if you have few other responsibilities.
8. Providing social connection
The people who took part in the study told of how having their pet helped give them a sense of social connection. If neighbors saw them outside with their pet, it gave them something to talk about, and helped them maintain connections with other people.
They also spoke of how the pets themselves provided a sense of connection.
People often talk to their cats, who reciprocate by ‘chatting’ back, either vocally or by using their body language, bumping their head against you, winding around your legs or slowly blinking to show affection.
Having a cat provides an uncomplicated relationship. They provide a sense of connection and unconditional love without question or judgement – or at least we can’t understand their language if they are judging us!
Having gone through the common experience of isolation during the pandemic lockdown, I’m sure cat owners worldwide have a whole new appreciation of how they can help overcome feelings of isolation.
Chronic pain can be isolating at the best of times. So having another living creature there to make you feel loved and needed can really help.
There’s something about cats -they often seem to naturally understand when we’re in a lot of pain. If you feel like your cat is the only one who gets it, you might be interested in my post about getting family members to understand your chronic pain
My article on relationships and chronic pain also talks more about how social connection (including our connection with pets) affects our experience of pain.
9. Helping with sleep
People who took part in the research found that pets helped them with sleep. Having pets encouraged them to stick to a regular sleep routine, and helped them to fall asleep through soothing them and giving them a sense of security.
When we have a good sleep routine, it can really help us deal with all of life’s challenges, including managing chronic pain. And you certainly can’t press snooze on a cat when it’s time to get up!
References
Bradley, L., & Bennett, P. C. (2015). Companion-animals’ effectiveness in managing chronic pain in adult community members. Anthrozoös, 28(4), 635–647.
Janevic MR, Shute V, Connell CM, Piette JD, Goesling J, Fynke J. The Role of Pets in Supporting Cognitive-Behavioral Chronic Pain Self-Management: Perspectives of Older Adults. J Appl Gerontol. 2020;39(10):1088-1096.