However, Lawrence McGill, technical vice-president and veterinary pathologist at ARUP Laboratories in Salt Lake City, Utah, said it might make sense that cats would de-stress owners and present heart benefits that dogs could not.
"I suspect this is due to the type of animal a cat is," McGill explained. "The cat is most commonly a lap animal and wants [to be] petted. When being petted, the stress level of the pet and owner goes down, as well as heart rate and blood pressure in most cases."
In contrast, McGill pointed out that dogs require more hands-on attention than cats, possibly contributing to the stress of the owner.
"When you get home from work, you have to give a dog attention, [and] if it is walk time — sorry, you have to do this," McGill explained. "They need to be fed on a routine basis. Dogs require [more] attention hands-on and when they want it. Dogs cannot hide their illnesses as much as a cat … [and] to some people, barking dogs are a stressor."
Still, cat lover Marty Becker, veterinarian at the North Idaho Animal Hospital in Sandpoint, Idaho, and author of "The Healing Power of Pets," said he's experienced firsthand the health benefits from owning his five cats.
"I had major surgery around September 2001 because of a slipped disk in my neck and was going through a very hard time," Becker explained. "It was right around 9/11, and all of that sadness and stress was physically debilitating and I felt myself slipping away mentally, but my cats could sense all of this and actually drew nearer to me. I have experienced the healing power of these animals first hand."
According to statistics from the American Veterinary Medical Association, there are more than 72 million pet dogs in the United States and nearly 82 million pet cats.
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