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Owning a dog, not a cat, can help fighting onset of dementia study shows

MikeHattsu

MikeHattsu

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Oct 25, 2017
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Sorry cat lovers, but dogs are elderly people's best friends when it comes to helping ward off dementia, according to a recent study.

The findings show that canine ownership can lower the risk of developing dementia by about 40 percent, but feline companions do not bestow similar benefits on their elderly owners.

The probability of developing dementia was particularly low for dog owners who had a regular exercise habit and were not socially isolated.

Researchers said dogs may have helped owners get exercise and connect with local residents during walks and other activities.
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The Tokyo Metropolitan Institute for Geriatrics and Gerontology analyzed new cases of dementia among 11,194 elderly people in the capital based on their nursing care insurance data between 2016 and 2020.

The average age of the subjects was 74.2. When the study started, 959 people had dogs while 704 had cats.

Dog owners were 40 percent less likely to develop dementia in the following four years, compared with non-canine owners, according to the results of the study, which were released in October.

There were no significant differences between cat owners and non-feline owners.
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pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Protective effects of dog ownership against the onset of disabling dementia in older community-dwelling Japanese: A longitudinal study - PubMed

This prospective study examined the associations of dog/cat ownership with incident disabling dementia using propensity score matching based on the physical, social, and psychological characteristics of dog and cat owners. We also examined associations of the interaction between dog/cat...
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
 
Soj

Soj

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Oct 27, 2017
10,770
I mean, I walk my cats every day and I've talked to at least three other humans this month.
 
julia crawford

julia crawford

Took the red AND the blue pills
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Oct 27, 2017
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it's a known fact that proximity to cats reduces intelligence and verbal communication skills until all you can say is "kitty!!"
 
Infinity Times Two

Infinity Times Two

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Oct 25, 2017
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As an owner of a dog, my highly anecdotal and probably irrelevant "evidence" to support this is that 80% of dog ownership is about finding out what the fuck he or she is currently doing. I guess that's mentally stimulating.
 
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Skade

Skade

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Oct 28, 2017
8,907
Infinity Times Two said:
As an owner of a dog, my highly anecdotal and probably irrelevant "evidence" to support this is that 80% of dog ownership is about finding what the fuck he or she is doing. I guess that's mentally stimulating.
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This works with cats too. One of my cats is INCAPABLE of making himself clear when he want something, but he clearly want something.
 
Saray

Saray

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Nov 26, 2018
642
Having a cat reduces the chance of strokes and heart attacks. So a cat and a dog is the correct answer.
 
Mirage

Mirage

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Oct 25, 2017
9,616
This sounds less like it's specifically about the dog but more that it's a good way to keep active/social?
 
Marmoka

Marmoka

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Oct 27, 2017
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Jawmuncher said:
As they didn't have a sample of people who own cats and take them for walks, this research is inconclusive.
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I agree here. You can also take your cat for a walk. There is a guy in my neighborhood who does that, and I think it's cool what he's doing, too bad many people think he's out of his mind...
 
Mivey

Mivey

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Oct 25, 2017
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Jawmuncher said:
As they didn't have a sample of people who own cats and take them for walks, this research is inconclusive.
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probably because it's a lot easier to get a dog used to walking outside. If you wanna walk a cat on a leash, you have to spend quite a bit of effort to get the pet used to it, and make it an enjoyable experience. Most dogs meanwhile need some outside movement and will basically beg you to walk them. It's not a surprise that having a dog will help older people be more active compared to owning a cat. Could the same be behaviour be had with a cat? Sure, but that's not a statistically significant amount of people to matter to a scientific study.
 
werezompire

werezompire

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Oct 26, 2017
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On the other hand, if you own a cat, you are 1000% more likely to become a magical girl.
 
PAFenix

PAFenix

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Nov 21, 2019
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Grandmother owned a dog, but I'm pretty sure her dementia already set in. Both were living in pretty much squalor until my parents stepped in.
 
Aiii

Aiii

何これ
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Oct 24, 2017
8,278
So regular exercise and talking to people helps with onset dementia.

Dog optional.
 
GulAtiCa

GulAtiCa

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Oct 25, 2017
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julia crawford said:
it's a known fact that proximity to cats reduces intelligence and verbal communication skills until all you can say is "kitty!!"
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cat_proximity.png
 
LProtagonist

LProtagonist

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Oct 27, 2017
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It sounds like walking and having conversations with other people are the key factors, and dogs just happen to facilitate that easily.
 
Sol C. Johnson

Sol C. Johnson

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Oct 28, 2017
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My uncles has had black labs for 40 some years.

He thinks he lives in a hotel and is going back to the navy.

So yeah.
 
Pau

Pau

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Oct 25, 2017
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Alzheimer's runs in my family so this is a good excuse to get a dog. One of my cats won't approve but I'll tell her it's for my health.
 
fragamemnon

fragamemnon

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Nov 30, 2017
6,951
Some people around here put their cats in covered/secured strollers and go for a walk. It sounds weird but American culture is such that people let you be you to your face (though probably gossip like crazy behind your back).

That's a way to do the exercise/interaction benefit while owning an indoor cat and not having to deal with getting a dog (since plenty of people do not like dogs, and some people are afraid of dogs).
 
Mango Pilot

Mango Pilot

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Apr 8, 2024
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From the abstract:

Specifically, dog owners with an exercise habit and no social isolation had a significantly lower risk of disabling dementia.
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So its exercise and no social isolation. Not "a dog." Yes dogs can facilitate that but you can be a hermit with a dog too.
 
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