Cats Are Less Stressed in Homes with Autistic Children, Study Finds

Shelter cats that were placed in homes of kids with autism acclimated well and showed lower levels of stress hormones over time.

Researchers have found that adding a shelter cat to the family can help lower stress and anxiety and that it does wonders for the felines, too.  In fact, shelter cats that were placed in homes of kids with autism, acclimated well and showed lower levels of stress hormones over time.   This study was performed by the Missouri Research Center for Human-Animal Interaction.  Researchers made home visits complete with labs every 2-3 days, then 6 weeks for 18 weeks.