By Robert Cheney
There are many things that you can do to improve your health, but did you know that simply owning a Savannah Cat (or any other cat) can have a positive impact on your body? No, owning a Savannah Cat does not mean that you can forget about exercising or eating healthy, but the effects of being a cat owner are astonishing.
For those of you that are not familiar with the Savannah breed, it is a hybrid of a wild African Serval and a domestic cat. They have that “wild” look, but possess the loving, social characteristics of the domestic cat. When looking at a Savannah Cat, people usually think they are much larger than they actually are due to the length and height of the cat. The largest Savannahs can weigh up to 30 lbs and stand up to 19 inches tall (to the shoulder).
Getting back to how they can make you healthier – did you know that a study, performed by the University of Minnesota’s Stroke Institute, found that owning a cat can reduce your risk of heart attack by about 30 percent? It’s true! The study examined over 4,000 cases, half of which were cat owners.
Or how about this: were you aware that taking care of a Savannah Cat can reduce symptoms of depression? It can – according to Dr. Ian Cook from the Depression Research and Clinic Program at UCLA, “[Cats] offer an unconditional love that can be very helpful to people that suffer from depression.”
Fascinating, isn’t it?
In the infographic below you will find several other ways that owning a Savannah can improve your health. If you want to see more details, you can check out the full article at F3SavannahCat.com.
Hi Robert,
I think, the infographic would be largely be true for any cat, not a particular breed of cat. I agree, it looks good, but somewhat misleads people, because the described benefits what apply for any domestic cat.Savannah is not a homeless cat, or found naturally, because breeders produce this breed. They are not in shelters either. So if many Savannah’s can’t find homes, why breeders breed too many of them? Besides these cats cost enormous amount of money, making breeders rich (good for them), but this also encourages to breed more of these cats. Breeders create a supply and regulate it, don’t they?
I believe, we need to encourage people to adopt a non-breed cat instead of breeding more Savannahs or other breeds. This is what I and many other people in this page think is an ethical thing to do.
Hi Gaye and Michael, yes the infographic is certainly meant to promote the Savannah breed. And yes, the infographic would largely be true for any breed of cat. You are very right that there are plenty of cats that need to be adopted, including many Savannahs. This is not an advertisement for people to go out and purchase a new kitten — they could just as well, go out and adopt a Savannah from a rescue shelter. Another thing to note is that many Savannah owners are only cat owners because they love the Savannah breed, and if it did not exist, they may not be in the market for a cat at all.
Thanks Robert for taking the time to comment.
Did anybody noticed, that sources, which supposedly back up the claims about benefits of owning Savannah cats, actually talk about (any)cats in general? This poster looks like a smart tactic to advertise the breed. This article an obvious advertisement of Savannah breed. Why do we need to breed more of these cats? We have plenty of cats which could make wonderful pets, and they do bring a fortune for greedy breeders…
Yes, Gaye. I think you are correct. It is meant to promote the breed and Robert Cheney’ website but that is a trade off. I decided to publish it because it also promotes the cat in general and it is a good infographic.