33% of women avoid going to the doctors because of anxiety and embarrassment (UK)

This is not strictly speaking about cats and I apologise if you want to read about cats only 😒. The truth is I have more or less run out of articles about cats because I written well over 20,000 articles over the years. Yes, a staggering amount and I hope you can understand why I have run out more or less.

But this is a study which I think is very significant. The Independent newspaper reports that a third of women steer clear of doctors because of anxiety and embarrass according to a study.

There is an indirect reference to cats here because a lot of single women look after cats. They do so company and cat companions make great company. 

Vet fees

There is an interesting side issue here as well because I've just written about the extortionate (as far as I'm concerned) veterinary fees in the UK because of a corporate takeover of independent veterinarians. 

Vet fees are so high in the UK now that if a cat is badly injured in an accident the average cat owner will have to have their cats euthanised rather than treated unless it is covered by medical insurance. That's my personal assessment.

Women's inequality

Anyway, back to women and their inequality in the UK. A study by The Fawcett Society reveals that almost 66% of British women believed that their health problems are not taken seriously. And about a third reported suffering from poor health due to their gender.

Partnering with The Fawcett Society were researchers for the not-for-profit healthcare provider Benenden Health in this study. They discovered that six in 10 women have had a negative encounter with healthcare professionals while a third believed that they were given a late diagnosis.

The study polled 10,000 women in the UK. It also revealed that a third believe that their illness was misdiagnosed. And 25% say that they were placed on the wrong medication.

It reveals a stark inequality in the UK today said the chief executive of The Fawcett Society, Jemima Olchawski.

The Independent newspaper also reported in their exclusive research that "a third of those with with a women's health condition have been made to wait three years or longer for a diagnosis."

It also believed that health conditions affecting women receive less funding and research. 

And a number of studies appear to confirm that women suffering from painful conditions are taken less seriously than men under similar circumstances.

The newspaper paints a high degree of inequality between men and women with respect to medical care. I don't know if this is true but the study states that it is. 

The most worrying part of it is in the headline to this article with a high percentage of women simply not going to see a GP because of anxiety and embarrassment. The government needs to look at this very seriously.

Poor mental health drives youth inactivity to new high in the UK

It may be particularly relevant today because there is a high percentage of young people with poor mental health who are economically inactive and on long term benefits. A lot of these will be young women. 

One in five adults who are not in work and are not looking for jobs are apparently on benefits. And it seems that poor mental health has pushed people out of work. Perhaps some of these people are the women I refer to.

Domestic cat's small size compared to humans' is a factor in our relationship

A study about aggressiveness in domestic dogs confirms what I have believed for a long time, namely that the relatively small size of the domestic cat in relation to the size of humans is an underlying factor which influences our relationship. What I say is that the domestic cat lives with the human-animal which towers over him or her and this can make them feel vulnerable sometimes, which in turn can lead to an underlying level of anxiety which may manifest itself in terms of defensive aggression.

Domestic cats often have to look up at their human towering over them. Photo: Pixabay.

I think it is a plausible suggestion because if we imagine ourselves living with creatures 10 to 20 times bigger than ourselves it would certainly have an impact upon our sense of security, well-being and emotional state. It would have an impact upon the relationship in general.

It is up to human caretakers to ensure that they overcome this imbalance in size through a particularly gentle approach to interactions with the domestic cat companion. Also, it pays sometimes to get down to the same level as the domestic cat or to allow the cat to come up to the level of their human companion. The latter can be achieved if cat owners allow their cat to sleep on their bed with them. The human bed is a natural level up but it is sad to report that a lot of cat owners, even concerned cat owners, don't allow this.

The human bed is a natural place for a domestic cat to be. They can immerse themselves in the scent of their human and exchange this scent by depositing their scent onto the bed and receiving body odours of their human companions onto their fur. This is a delight for a domestic cat and it is reassuring.

So back to the dogs which I mentioned at the beginning of this article. A study that was conducted at the University of Helsinki found that in general the more aggressive dogs were the smaller ones while, conversely, the least aggressive were the larger dogs.

This, I would argue, fits in with the human analogy namely that men who are challenged vertically, to use politically correct language to be more aggressive than those who are tall or of normal height. The size and height of male humans is quite an important factor in their lives. The small individual needs to prove their worth and they can become more competitive, sometimes overly competitive and this can manifest itself in aggression. I think that is a fair analogy.

And another reason why domestic cat might become anxious because of vulnerability is because they depend entirely on their human caretaker. They put all their eggs into one basket. So they depend upon a giant to feed them, to keep them warm, to allow them to feel secure and provide emotional comfort. It's a slightly dodgy situation for a top predator to live with.

The most aggressive dogs are for example the miniature poodle, the miniature schnauzer, German shepherd, Spanish water dog, Chinese crested dog, for example while the least aggressive are dogs such as the Labrador retriever, golden retriever, Shetland sheepdog, Staffordshire bull terrier, Jack Russell terrier and the smooth collie.

So what can people do about this? At least be aware of it and modify behaviour when and where necessary to try and overcome this inherent physical barrier to the relationship. It certainly pays to get down to the level of your cat, sometimes. I know that in my personal experience my cat thoroughly enjoys it when I do this. 

His behaviour changes and it is noticeable. And when he is on my bed with me, either with me in bed or on top of the duvet cover, it is noticeable that he likes it. The message is clear because he trills and purrs and demonstrates excitement. I think it is because I am at his level, at his height and no longer dominating him through my physical presence.