What’s the big hype with cats?
Cats have pounced their ways into our heart and they don’t seem to be leaving anytime soon. These felines and humans have a complex, rich history, dating back 10,000-12,000 ago but only living in human homes the past half century. Cats and humans have a relationship like the trope of childhood friends realizing they are in love when they are adults and finally getting together. I trust you all can appreciate a good slow burn romance. According a study released by Applied Animal Behavior Science, despite cats being popularized only 60 years ago, “The domestic cat (Felis silvestris catus) is quickly becoming the most popular animal companion in the world.” That shows that there is something in our feline companions that humans seem to like so much.
The way that cats formed a symbiotic relationship with humans is very in character of cats. They realized that humans had a rodent infestation and they said to themselves “This benefits us so I guess we’ll will stick around.” And stick around they did! Most cats are no longer hunters who are interested in hunting rodents, but rather meowing at their owner for treats. But what’s a species of animal who can’t adapt to their surroundings?
Now 10,000 years of history has lead me here, to convince you all how cool cats are. Before I continue, I have to admit my own bias. Yes, I am what some consider a… “crazy cat lad.” I have had my cat for over 10 years and I grew up with him.
I have honestly been very grateful to have such a loyal companion throughout the years and I am writing this article to inform the masses to what exactly is the hype surrounding cats and what’s the big deal with them and why you should consider these fuzzy friends in your life.
(Look at this cutie!)
1. First off, what draws humans to cats exactly?
Now this will probably be the most subjective thing I talk about in the article, but cats are so darn cute and charming. There is a reason for cats oversaturating internet meme culture. It’s so funny to see an animal who clearly holds themselves in such high self-esteem getting scared by a sneeze. Cats appeal to humans is a little more complex than one would anticipate though! Domestic cats aren’t known for being supremely social, in fact they are quite infamous for it. However, the reason we adopt these little guys are very shocking to say the least.
An experiment was conducted and asked the question if cats’ facial movements and expressions influence prospective owners’ decision to adopt them. A similar study was conducted with dogs and it was concluded that facial expressions in dogs, particularly a “subtle eyebrow raise were preferred by future adopters…” The results for cats were different, however! That pattern for adoption is not the same for cats, weirdly enough, rubbing is more likely to get a cat adopted!
This is a very characteristic social behavior of cats, affectionately being dubbed by some as “head-butting.” These results are shocking because it seems that humans don’t adopt cats based solely on superficial facial responses, like dogs (no hate I love a cute dog too), but rather an exhibition of social capacity via affection.
Cats are more than their face and their funny internet memes. We find cats amusing but our connection to cats is a more unique one than finding them funny or cute. Cats are infamous for their antisocial behavior so it is strange to say that we find them appealing for their ability to be social. Humans have such interesting connections with cats that goes beyond superficially finding them cute.
2. They are crazy good hunters
“Really?” You might ask. “My Snowball Whiskers? A fearsome hunter? She just got scared by a moving spider this morning!” To that I say: indeed, Snowball Whiskers is designed to murder without discrimination (though I do feel your pain faceless naysayer).
While it is difficult to say whether a species is one of the top hunters in the world due to the subjective nature of the criteria, many sources however credit the domestic cat at being, at the very least, in the top 10 (if not number 1). Nature Communications reported that domestic cats alone kill approximately, 6.3-22.3 billion mammals per year. That is an amazingly high number, to say the least. Like I mentioned earlier, cats murder indiscriminately. But how indiscriminate?
Well that’s a good question, faceless naysayer! You are so talkative today!
According to a report written by Christopher R. Dickman and Thomas M. Newsome, cats hunt so much and do not stop hunting despite the frequency of the species. This poses a problem because they could potentially hunt mammals to dangerous levels. These little guys pose a problem for conservationists because of how indiscriminate they are when they hunt. Dogs are incredibly helpful to humans, but they can’t boast the title of “one of the best hunters in the world.” Cats are certainly deserving of respect and that’s why they are so dang cool.
So, save a little bird or rodent’s life and adopt an indoor cat. They get to keep their lives, and you get a fuzzy friend.
3. Kitties are good for you
But not for the reasons you might expect! A study in the Journal of Vascular and Interventional Neurology stated that cats reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and death via a cardiovascular disease. Cats don’t just warm the heart, they also strengthen it! Our feline companions have a very loving relationship with people but it seems quite incredible that they actually have physiological benefits to us as humans! Emotional support animals are fairly well known, but maybe more people should have them for their health benefits.
Weirdly enough, cats also help with allergies in children?
Now as someone who is mildly allergic to feline companions, it seems a bit weird that they actually prevent allergies. Well as researched in an article published in Clinical & Experimental Allegy, “The first year of life is the critical period during childhood when indoor exposure to dogs or cats influences sensitization to these animals.” Now I wish I had this growing up!
Even if you do not like cats, the benefits to having them is undeniable. Parents should get cats for their child’s health, especially since it will benefit the child later in life and help the parents’ risk for cardiovascular disease. Even if the child does not grow up to own a cat, they have an option to and, at the very least, they won’t have to avoid one of their friend’s house because of a certain feline companion.
Now, I would lose journalistic integrity if I didn’t talk about some bad things about cats, specifically something called Toxoplasma Gondii. Centers for Disease Control Prevention (CDC) describes toxoplasmosis as a parasite that affects more than 60 million US citizens; however, the parasite is not usually not harmful and a healthy immune system can prevent any illness. It is such a benign thing that most people who are infected with the parasite are not aware of it. How does this relate to cats? A cause of this parasite can be handling of cat feces. However, do not let this deter you and get disgusted with cats. Another cause of this parasite could be undercooked/contaminated meat! This is a common parasite and is only threatening to people with weak immune system or people who are pregnant. It can easily be avoided by changing the litter box every day, have an indoor cat, and wearing gloves when you change their litter.
Would I rather be at lower risk for allergies and cardiovascular disease or would I rather not own a cat because of a benign parasite that I could just as easily get from a poorly managed Golden Corral?
4. This article is meant to insult dogs but…cats…are…safer than dogs
¯_(ツ)_/¯ You can yell and scream all you want about how dogs are friendlier than cats, but you can’t deny the numbers: dogs bite more humans than cats do.
Dogs account for 76-94% of animal bite injuries, in the United States of America there is 4.5 million people that have suffered dog bites (keep in mind those are the ones that are reported). Cat bites in the United States are a mere 400,000 in comparison. Even if your Rufus would never bite anyone, an “adult dog can exert 200 pounds per square inch (psi) of pressure, with some large dogs able to exert 450 psi.” While infections caused by cat bites develop quicker than dog bites, the relatively low number of cat bites make this point moot. You might argue, “Well what if at bites just aren’t reported because they just aren’t that serious, so the number of cat bites could be equal to dog bites.” That is a valid argument, at first glance, but if you actually think about that argument in relation to my point, it isn’t addressing my main point. Dogs are more dangerous than cats because of the reason so many cases need to be reported. I’ll indulge you and say well “What if cats bite just as many humans as dogs?” Dog bite reports will always be higher because they can exert so much pressure with a single bite.
Sadly enough, children are the demographic that suffers the most from dog bites and has increase in severity of the injury. Cat bites are more common in female adults, not children. Thorough dog training is a must if you have children or anyone else with a delicate constitution.
To wrap things up in a nice bow
Those were some reasons why cats are such awesome animals and why they make such good companions. This is a very subjective argument because it mostly depends on owner preferences. If you can, I really encourage you to give cats a try, just don’t expect them to be dogs, because they are not. Cats offer different things to humans that are pretty unique to our felines. Dogs are often love at first sight relationships where you instantly bond. Cats are the type that need to warm up to you and can develop a nice loving relationship, if you take the time to develop it.