November 26, 2025 Back Home

Paws & Reflect: The Many Benefits of Yoga with Cats

From improving flexibility to better managing stress, yoga is a holistic exercise that benefits our mind, body, and soul. A routine yoga practice can increase strength, improve balance, ease chronic pain, and promote better posture.

Now imagine the benefits of doing yoga with cats!

Our naturally flexible feline friends don’t get the credit they deserve for their therapeutic superpowers. Even just being around a cat can improve our mood. That’s why blending yoga’s gentle movements with the charm of free-roaming felines has made cat yoga a feel-good trend all over the world.

But before we get to what yoga with cats is like, let’s get ourselves into the Cat Cow pose.

Cat Cow Position in Yoga

Cat-Cow pose gets its name from the two animals it mirrors: the gentle arch of a stretching cat and the dip of a calm, grazing cow.

The “cat” portion especially reflects the way real cats flex their spines to wake up their bodies. In yoga, this movement is said to help loosen the spine, releasing tension, and helping you ease into deeper breaths, just like a cat starting its day with a good stretch.

@fosterkittenohana the best yoga partner 🐱🧘🏽‍♀️ (mat is in my am@zon page) #bibbleandnori #yoga #peaceful #wholesome #fyp #cutecats #catmom #catbestfriend ♬ original sound – Aidan Robinson

OK, feline warmed up? Let’s get the scoop on yoga with cats.

What is cat yoga?

Cat yoga is the practice of doing yoga in the presence of cats or kittens. It’s basically a normal yoga class, but with cats wandering around, judging you from a corner, jumping in your lap, walking on your back, and licking your face.

If you haven’t heard of cat yoga, you’ve probably heard of goat yoga or dog yoga. Any yoga class with animals is guaranteed to bring a smile to your face, but cats tend to be less messy than most animals. Cats have the right temperament, but goats are notorious for pooping everywhere and dogs can be overly rambunctious.

So, here’s what we know about yoga with cats.

Yoga is better with cats

Obviously, cats make everything better, even exercise! It’s scientifically proven that, individually, yoga and cats can improve our mental health. And when you combine them, expect your brain to explode into rainbows of happiness.

According to research, cats can amplify the benefits of yoga by affecting our brain chemistry. When you interact with a cat, your brain releases oxytocin, which is a hormone that promotes social bonding and lowers stress and anxiety levels. While oxytocin increases in the brain, the stress hormone cortisol decreases. This puts you in a more relaxed state that can lower your blood pressure and heart rate.

There will be purring!

If you’re lucky, a cat may decide to sleep in your lap during Sukhasana, or lay on your chest during Savasana. You might feel or hear them purring, which welcomes even more benefits.

Research tells us that the frequency of a cat’s purr has therapeutic properties, both for the cat and humans. The vibrations from purring have shown to decrease blood pressure and promote healing for humans. And for the cats, purring releases endorphins which helps improve their sense of well being.

yoga cat
byu/RemarkableBudget5277 infunnycats

There are benefits for cats too!

Even if the cats aren’t paying attention to the instructor, cat yoga benefits them just as much as it benefits us. Plus, cat yoga is humans doing weird body poses on the floor. What could be more interesting for a cat?

While cats may have a reputation for being anti-social with humans, the reality is that they love and crave our attention just as much as dogs. This is especially true for yoga classes with adoptable cats. The more the cats are around people, the more comfortable they will be when interacting with potential adopters at the shelter, and the more likely they will be to find their forever home.

If you’re doing cat yoga at home with your beloved pet, they get the benefit of extra bonding time with their favorite human. Plus, yoga at home means they don’t have to get up and leave after Savasana.

How to do cat yoga

It doesn’t matter if you’re at home with your cat or at a yoga studio surrounded by adoptable kittens. You can do cat yoga anywhere there’s a cat and a mat. Just know that any sense of personal space goes out the window when your fellow yogis are felines!

Cat yoga classes are frequently held at shelters, adoption centers, yoga studios, and cat cafes. Simply search for a studio or class near you.

Classes are usually a bit more expensive than a regular yoga class because they are often fundraising events. The majority of the time, the cats joining you in class will all be available for adoption.

Or if you’re thinking, “Na…maste home with my cat,” break out your mat, grab your kitty a treat, and find videos of guided yoga practices from your local studio or on YouTube.