Latest 2025 Research Reveals Surprising Benefits
If you’ve ever felt your shoulders relax the moment your cat curls into your lap or found comfort in the steady rhythm of a purr, science is backing you up!
Research from 2023 through 2025 shows a consistent, and growing theme:
Pets offer overwhelming emotional, psychological, and even cognitive benefits to the people who love them.
The American Psychiatric Association’s (APA) widely cited poll first highlighted this trend in 2023, but multiple new studies from 2024 and 2025 give us an even deeper understanding of how pets support human mental health.
Let’s break down the findings
The APA Poll: 80% of Americans Feel Mental Health Benefits from Their Pets
The American Psychiatric Association (APA) revealed that more than 80% of people sharing their lives with a pet say their pets positively impact their mental health.
Cat guardians reported:
- Reduced stress
- Less Loneliness
- Emotional comfort
- Increased sense of purpose
- A calming influence in daily life
And, Cats and dogs were found to be equally beneficial!
This is especially meaningful because it challenges the long-standing assumption that dogs are more emotionally supportive than cats. The data says: NOT TRUE!
Updated 2025 APA Insights: Benefits Remain Strong- and Consistent.
In APA’s updated 2025 resource materials, the trend holds steady:
81% of pet guardians still report significant positive mental health effects from their pets.
2025 Research: Pets May Help Slow Cognitive Decline
One of the most exciting developments comes from a 2025 study in Scientific Reports (summarized by Harvard Health). Researchers followed older adults for nearly two decades and found that:
Living with a cat or dog was linked to slower cognitive decline and better long-term memory.
This means pets may play a quiet, but meaningful, role in keeping our minds sharp as we age. For many older adults who live alone or lack consistent social support, this is a life-changing implication.
Mindfulness and Mood: New 2025 Evidence on Emotional Regulation
A 2025 study in Nature Scientific Reports examined how interacting with pets elevates mindfulness, reduces stress, and boosts moment-to-moment wellbeing.
While research focused on dogs, the principles apply to cats too:
- Being present with a pet
- Engaging in simple, relaxing interactions
- Feeling seen and connected
These are all experiences cat lovers know well, especially during those quiet moments with a purring friend.
Therapy Animal Breakthrough: College Students See Real Mental Health Gains
Another 2025 study from Washington State University revealed that regular access to therapy dogs significantly reduces depression, stress and anxiety in first-year college students.
Cats are not typically used in therapy programs, but the findings reinforce a universal truth:
Animal companionship provides emotional regulation when humans need it most.
Pets Reduce Loneliness- A Key Indicator of Mental Health
A 2025 analysis from Scientific Reports showed a clear link between pet companionship and reduced loneliness, which is one of the strongest predictors of anxiety, depression, and decreased overall wellness.
Reduced loneliness= improved mental health. And, pets excel at fighting loneliness.
Cats, in particular, offer companionship that is gentle, reassuring, and consistent, especially appreciated by people who prefer quiet emotional connection.
Not Every Study Shows Universal Benefits- And That’s Important Too
Some 2025 studies take a more nuanced view, finding:
- Effects vary between individuals
- Benefits depend on attachment style, lifestyle, and expectations
- Pets don’t automatically improve wee-being for every single person
This doesn’t diminish how meaningful the human-animal bond is, it simply underscores that people and pets have unique dynamics.
What Does This Mean for Cat Guardians?
All together, the latest research paints clear picture:
- Pets boost emotional wellbeing
- Pets reduce loneliness and stress
- Pets support healthy routines and purpose
- Pets may even protect long-term cognitive health
- Pets provide connection during life’s most challenging moments.
And importantly…
Cats are every bit as impactful as dogs.
Their quiet companionship, soft routines, and gentle presence are deeply therapeutic, often in ways that feel effortless.
Final Thought: Cats Aren’t Just Companions. They’re Part of Our Emotional Toolkit
As more research emerges, one thing is clear:
The human-animal bond is not sentimental-it’s science, and it’s powerful.
Whether it’s a dog’s joyful enthusiasm or a cat’s calming presence, our pets play a significant role in supporting mental health and emotional resilience.
And for those of us lucky enough to share our lives with cats, the science now reflects what our hearts have always known.
REFERENCES
American Psychiatric Association. (2023). Americans note overwhelming positive mental health impact of their pets in new poll; dogs and cats equally beneficial. https://fuquacenter.org/pets-have-overwhelming-positive-impact-on-mental-health-apa-poll-finds/
American Psychiatric Association. (2025). Pets and mental health: 2025 social media toolkit. https://www.psychiatry.org/news-room/apa-blogs/pets-and-mental-health-2025-social-media-toolkit
Harvard Health Publishing. (2025). Dogs and cats may slow cognitive decline. Harvard Women’s Health Watch. https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/dogs-and-cats-may-slow-cognitive-decline
JAMA Network Open. (2023). Association of pet ownership with cognitive decline among older adults living alone. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2813138
Lin, F., McConnel, C., & colleagues. (2025). Pet ownership and cognitive function in older adults: A longitudinal analysis. Scientific Reports, 15, Article 37279. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-03727-9
McNicholas, J., & Templer, D. (2025). Attachment to pets and mental health outcomes: A systematic review. Animals, 15(8), 1143. https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/15/8/1143
Psychiatric News. (2024). Pet ownership has a positive impact on mental health. https://alert.psychnews.org/2024/03/pet-ownership-has-positive-impact-on.html
Verywell Health. (2025). Owning a cat or dog could boost brain health. https://www.verywellhealth.com/owning-a-cat-or-dog-could-boost-brain-health-11779559
Washington State University. (2025). Regular access to therapy dogs boosts first-year students’ mental health. https://news.wsu.edu/press-release/2025/02/13/regular-access-to-therapy-dogs-boosts-first-year-students-mental-health/