Volunteering at our local Humane Society and caring for a room full of rescued cats is keeping me and my little boys plenty busy and happy this summer. It may also be helping our hearts.

Researchers have found a correlation between cat ownership and a decreased risk of deadly heart disease. While we don't own our very own cat, we do engage in many of the tasks that cat owners practice. And so maybe, if we're lucky and keep at our community service project, we'll enjoy a 40% lower risk of one day dying from a cardiovascular condition.

Caring for cats can make you more energetic and happy, say researchers. I believe it. My seven-year-old is very content while petting, brushing, and loving the cats we visit. And while having any pet companion is good for both physical and emotional health, it seems cats do the trick better than dogs do. Maybe it's because there are more cats owned in the United States -- there are 90 million compared to 74.8 dogs. Makes sense. There are 90 some cats in our Humane Society cat room. There were about 10 dogs last time we visited. Clearly, there's more cat work to be done.

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I'll warn you, watching this video is not for the faint of heart. Actually, it's probably not for anyone with a heart, because of the terrible cruelty involved. But though I can't see beyond the animal rights issues that are obviously brought to light by the undercover video recently released by the Humane Society, I know that not everyone shares that particular viewpoint.

But there's another issue here that may hit closer to home...your dinner plate. These cows were being beaten, pushed with forklift blades, and sprayed with high-power hoses so that they would get up and walk into the slaughterhouse. The problem? They were "downer" cows, sick or injured, and the use of them as food is restricted by law. Whether or not these particular cows made it to the food supply is in question, but Humane Society leaders say what happened in this video is not an isolated event.

Food safety is a major issue in America today, and as this video highlights, our best interests are not always top priority. I'll continue to vote against these types of practices with my food dollar by avoiding factory farmed animals and buying meat only from local sources that I know and trust. I'm not opposed to adding an occasional piece of meat to my meal, but I just can't swallow the suffering.

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I don't think it's any surprise anymore that pets can be a great thing for the health of older adults, especially seniors living alone. But for those on restricted incomes (and that's quite a few) the cost of owning a pet can simply be too much. But the Humane Society in Colorado Springs, CO is making a difference in the lives of pets and people through a program called The Senior Citizens Pet Companionship Program. The program not only does the obvious of matching up seniors with happy companionship animals as new pets, but it gives them an annual allowance to help offset the costs of caring for them.

One 77 year old woman named Joan lost almost 40 pounds, stabilized her diabetes, and feels happier and less lonely since adopting a little Jack Russell Terrier named Monty through the program. Now doesn't hearing a story like that just give you the warm fuzzies?

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