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NOW YOU CAN TAKE BACK 1/2 THE AWFUL THINGS YOU'VE SAID ABOUT CATS!

In the latest issue of "Alternatives for the Health-Conscious
Individual" by Dr. David Williams, he talks about some interesting
research in vibrations. He says that researchers have found that
vibrations or energy currents in the range of 20 to 50 Hz stimulates
bone growth. The production of the body's natural anti-inflammatory
compounds is increased. Joint pain and swelling improves. Bone
fractures heal faster, and weakened bones begin to strengthen and
rebuild. In a section he calls "A Purrfect Tool for Healing" he writes:

Some of the most amazing research that I've run across, however, deals
with cats. A group called the Fauna Communications Research Institute
in Hillsborough, North Carolina, recently started some very interesting
research focusing on the possible connection between vibrational
frequencies and healing....
...Researchers there began to question the purpose of purring in
cats....
Cats also purr when they give birth and when they are under stress,
caged, or severely injured. Since purring expends energy, it makes sense
that there would be a reason for it.

In an unpublished study, researchers recorded the purrs of all types of
cats, both domestic and wild. Cheetahs, pumas, ocelots, and other wild
cats were recorded at the Cincinnati Zoo. Various domestic cats were
recorded elsewhere. Surprisingly, when the frequencies of the purrs
were analyzed, it was discovered that the dominant frequency for three
species of cats' purrs was exactly 25 Hz or 50 Hz. These just happen to
be the most effective frequencies for promoting bone growth and repair.
(Only the cheetah didn't have a dominant frequency at 50 Hz.)

Everyone has heard that "a cat always lands on its feet." The amazing
righting ability behind this saying undoubtedly accounts for the fact
that cats routinely survive and completely recover from falls that would
kill most animals. In the late 1980s, vets studied the cases of 132
cats that had fallen an average of 5.5 stories from variouse high-rise
apartments. Of those, 37% required emergency
treatment, 30% required non-emergency treatment, and the remaining 30%,
no treatment at all. Overall, 90% of the cats survived. (For what it's
worth, the highest recorded fall survived by a cat was 45 stories.)

Cats' remarkable ability to survive may also be based on the fact that
their dominant purr is at the exact frequency
that heals bones, muscles, and ligaments. There's another old saying
that's popular among veterinarians, "If you put a cat and a bunch of
broken bones in the same room, the bones will heal."

A recent study evaluated the various health problems presented by 31,484
dogs and 15,226 cats to 52 private
veterinary clinics around the country. Lameness and disc disease were
among the top problems of dogs and 2.4% were severely arthritic. Kidney
and bladder problems were most prominent among cats, and there was no
mention of bone, arthritis, or joint problems at all. (J Am
Vet Med Assoc 99;214 (9):1336-41)

Hip dysplasia, arthritis, and ligament and muscle damage are all common
to dogs, but almost non-existent in cats. Even myeloma, a cancerous
tumor in bone marrow, is practically unheard of in cats, yet quite
common in dogs. Any vet will tell you how much easier it is to fix a
broken bone and how much quicker one heals in a cat compared to a dog.

Researchers at the Ontario Veterinary College in Canada made some
interesting comparisons between dogs and cats regarding their
complications from elective surgeries. They found that complications
from castration were as much as 20 times higher in dogs than in cats,
and the post-operative problems following ovariohysterectomies
occurred twice as often in dogs as cats.

Breathing problems associated with heart disease are almost non-existant
in cats, but common in dogs. Large
skin-tissue grafts take quickly in cats, but often become necrotic in
dogs. Historically, bone cancer is extremely rare in cats, but common in
dogs. And the list goes on and on.

Purring appears to be a cat's way of treating itself. Just like humans
use shivering to warm the body, cats may
purr at specific vibrational frequencies that promote healing in various
parts of their bodies. While the researchers in the above-mentioned
unpublished study found that a cat's dominant purring frequency might
be at 25 Hz or 50 Hz, the range extended up to 140 Hz. By changing the
frequency of their purring, cats may be
fine-tuning their healing abilities.

In another section he writes:

I've even seen reports where individuals claim they can stop their
migrane headaches by lying down with a purring cat next to their head.
Maybe we're finally on track to discover a logical explanation for these
incidents.
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So go get a cat. You will be healthlier and have a friend who really
understands how you feel. Your cat won't care, but it will understand.
-------------------------------------------------------

Marianne

Hellemose Somali
hellemose.som@paradis.tdcadsl.dk

Some people have lives, others have cats