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Owners often instinctively reach for their feline companion after a difficult day, hoping a purr or cuddle will melt the stress away. But new research suggests that while cats may boost overall emotional well-being, they may not relieve stress in the way many expect.
A study published in Frontiers in Psychology tracked 188 pet owners for five days, using several daily surveys to examine how everyday interactions with pets influenced mood and stress. Overall, spending time with pets was associated with more positive emotions. But when researchers examined stressful situations specifically, they found little evidence that interacting with a pet reduced the emotional impact of those moments.
Among cat owners, researchers identified an unexpected pattern. More frequent interactions with felines during stressful situations were associated with slightly higher levels of negative emotions.
However, the researchers emphasized that this does not mean cats cause stress or harm people’s mental health. Instead, the findings suggest the relationship between pets, emotions and stress may be more complex than previously thought.
Dr. Annie Valuska, a Purina pet behaviorist and certified applied animal behaviorist, told Newsweek that the cat-related finding should be interpreted with caution.
“This study is being positioned in many articles as ‘proof’ that cats increase our stress levels, but in my opinion that is not a fair characterization of the research,” she said.
Valuska said the study still found interactions with both dogs and cats were associated with improved emotional well-being. Rather than showing that cats make people feel worse, she said the research suggests pets may not always provide immediate stress relief during difficult moments.
Researchers said the study cannot explain why the pattern appeared only among cat owners, but they offered several possible explanations. One possibility is that people are more likely to seek out their cats when they are already feeling stressed, anxious or overwhelmed. In that case, the interaction may reflect an existing emotional state rather than cause those feelings.
The researchers also suggested that cats and dogs may offer comfort in different ways. While dog interactions often involve activities such as walking, playing or exercising together, interactions with cats tend to be quieter and less physically active. That difference could influence how owners experience stress in the moment, though the authors said more research is needed to understand why the pattern appeared only among cat owners.
Unlike previous studies that asked people to remember how they felt in the past, participants reported their emotions, stress levels and recent interactions with their pets several times a day. That allowed the team to capture experiences as they unfolded in real time.
Even so, Valuska cautioned against drawing firm conclusions from a single study. She said that different research approaches, such as measuring stress hormones or asking people to report their own emotions, can reveal different aspects of the human-animal bond.
She noted that the cat-related finding was relatively small.
“This indicates that this finding isn’t the final word on this topic and should be interpreted with caution until additional studies are able to replicate it,” Valuska said.
For cat owners concerned by the findings, Valuska said the study is not a reason to change their behavior.
“If a cat owner personally finds comfort in engaging with their cat during stressful moments, they should absolutely continue to do that,” she said.
Instead, she suggested paying closer attention to what types of interactions feel most helpful, whether that means playing, cuddling, or simply spending quiet time together.
While the findings suggest your cat may not instantly erase the effects of a stressful day, they do not diminish the value of feline companionship. The study instead points out that cats can improve overall emotional well-being, even if they do not always provide immediate stress relief.
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