A Student’s Best Companion: The Benefits and Responsibilities of Owning Cats

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Being a student can be very stressful, with upcoming tests, piles of assignments to complete, and final exams just around the corner. All of these factors can cause students to feel burned out and demotivated. They may also lead to excessive stress and negatively affect students’ mental health. Therefore, many students find comfort in the presence of cats to help them cope with stress and emotional exhaustion.

There are many benefits of pets for mental health, especially cats as a part of companion animals. According to a study, pets reduced anxiety and depression in patients with Parkinson's disease (Hussien et al.,2021). Pets can also act as a protective buffer against stress and loneliness, which was very apparent during the COVID-19 pandemic (SİNMEZ et al., 2024). During the pandemic, people are not able to interact with others. Nevertheless, pets such as cats help become a good company for them throughout the lockdown. Not only that, pets like cats help people recover emotionally and psychologically from stressful days, reducing the negative effects of these stressors (Junça-Silva,2025). They can sense emotions and bring comfort to their owner. Therefore, it is proven there are many benefits of cats for mental health. Pets provide humans with many benefits in many different ways; they can build social capital, act as agents of harm reduction, motivate healthy behaviors, and potential participants in doctor treatment plans (Hodgson et al., 2015). Pets are extremely helpful in the health and well-being of humans.

For students, owning a cat requires both preparation and responsibility. Cats need a safe and comfortable environment where they can feel secure and relaxed, especially when adjusting to a new home. Students should prepare essential items such as food, water bowls, a litter box, and toys to help their cats settle in more easily. Providing a healthy diet is also important, as cats need nutritious food and constant access to clean water to maintain their health and growth. In addition, students should ensure their cats receive regular veterinary checkups, vaccinations, and treatments to prevent illnesses and keep them active. Beyond physical care, spending time bonding with a cat is equally important. Since cats may take time to trust people, especially in unfamiliar surroundings, students should play with them and give them attention to build a stronger connection. Most importantly, students must understand that owning a cat is a long-term commitment that requires patience, care, and responsibility. Although cats can sometimes be difficult to handle, providing proper love and attention will help them feel safe, comfortable, and emotionally connected to their owners.

Veterinary advice should also be followed to help prevent health problems and ensure the cat’s well-being. As I mentioned in the previous paragraph, pets must receive a regular checkup. Most veterinarians advise pet owners to get their pets as for example, cats to get vaccinated. By getting vaccinated, it can avoid diseases such as rabies. Not only that, veterinarians also advise pet owners to provide a healthy diet to their pets as excessive food leads to obesity and digestive problems. In addition, veterinarians advise indoor cats to have daily interactive playtime to prevent stress, as cats can also experience stress and emotional discomfort similar to humans. Thus, pet owners must not take veterinarians’ advice lightly, as their guidance is helpful in maintaining the cat’s health, behavior, and overall well-being.

In conclusion, pets such as cats bring many benefits to humans, especially students, by providing comfort and emotional support. However, people who wish to own a pet must be fully responsible and should not treat pet ownership as a small matter, as it can greatly influence their daily routine and requires consistent care, attention, and commitment.

References

Hodgson, K., Barton, L., Darling, M., Antao, V., Kim, F. A., & Monavvari, A. (2015). Pets’ Impact on Your Patients’ Health: Leveraging Benefits and Mitigating Risk. The Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine, 28(4), 526–534. https://doi.org/10.3122/jabfm.2015.04.14025

Hussien, S. M., Soliman, W. S., & Khalifa, A. A. (2021). Benefits of Pet’s Ownership, A Review Based on Health Perspectives. Journal of Internal Medicine and Emergency Research , 2 (1).

https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.37191/Mapsci-2582-7367-2(1)-020

Junça-Silva, A. (2025). Beyond companionship:Pets are non-human beings that protect human health. Current Psychology https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-025-07354-5

SİNMEZ, Ç. Ç., METİN, A., TÜFEKÇİ, E., AYKUN, A. İ., & GÜNEŞ,V(2024). Predictors on mental health of owning cats and

dogs. Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences, 48 (4), 180–189. https://doi.org/10.55730/1300-0128.4353