If you’re like most people today, you’re trying everything you can to stay healthy. While some people join a gym, take yoga classes, or run marathons, there’s a much easier way to get healthy.

By simply owning a cat, you’ll quickly discover there are many amazing health benefits that will come your way. With more and more scientific evidence coming our way, there’s no doubt your furry feline will do its best to keep you feeling great.

To start with, your cat will keep you very heart-healthy. According to research findings, cat owners are 30 percent less likely to die from a heart attack or stroke, and can also expect to enjoy lower cholesterol, triglycerides, and blood pressure. And in some cases, cats were found to have a greater impact on lowering blood pressure and cholesterol than certain medications designed for these conditions!

And if you find yourself feeling depressed, sad, and lonely, cats work hard to make those feelings disappear as well. In fact, some studies have shown cats can improve your mood equally as well as a spouse, boyfriend, or girlfriend can, and can also reduce stress or anxiety simply by sitting in your lap and purring.

Speaking of sitting in your lap, cats also lower stress and anxiety, helping you to calm down and stay focused. Even a few minutes a day can help stress fade away.

And for all of you who can’t have cats for allergic or other reasons, did you know that even the act of watching cat videos online is a stress reducer? It’s been studied. Amazing time we live in, right?

So as you can see, in between napping, eating, and playing, cats actually work hard to keep their pet parents and other nearby humans as healthy as possible. To learn more about the amazing health benefits of cat companionship, check out the infographic below, or see all 22 benefits at Catological.com. When you do, you’ll no doubt be so impressed that if you don’t already have a cat, you’ll get one. And if you already have one, you’ll probably get a few more.