How a cat can cut your risk of heart attacks Continue reading on Examiner.com How a cat can cut your risk of heart attacks

John Davidson

Denver Animal News Examiner

Kellie Pickler gets some purrs at an ASPCA event

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It's no secret that pets help our health in a number of ways, But a new study takes the data one step further.

A 10-year study at the University of Minnesota Stroke Center found that cat owners were 40 percent less likely to have heart attacks than non-cat owners.

The results, according to an article in the Chicago Tribune, suggest that a cat's purring may be responsible for the effect.

"Cats will purr when they're content, but also they'll purr when they're about to be euthanized. It's thought they purr to communicate with their kittens," said author and animal behavior consultant Steve Dale. "It's thought to be a calming mechanism..."Continue reading...