In the waning years of the 20th century cat-fancier L.R. wrote to her beloved feline companions "....you obviously feel differently, but I assure you that I own you and not vice-versa.” Cats are famous for their character traits of showing distain, aloofness and the desire to dominate the people and events around them. So why do more pet owners own cats than any other type of pet? Reasons vary. Some people simply prefer a animal that requires the minimum amount of maintenance. Cats fit that description – it's not necessary to jump through a maze to take care of a cat who only really requires food and a clean litter box. Others like to live with an animal that may mirror their own non-social personality. But most cat owners feel that cats are misunderstood, and if you take the time to adapt yourself to the cat's needs, you'll have a friend for life. This outlook seems to be confirmed by the cat memes and videos of funny cats which currently populate social media. There aren't many dog memes and the funny dog videos that are online mostly highly goofy dogs doing ungainly things. In contrast, the videos of funny cats provide a glimpse into the complex personalities of cats. You can see cats cuddling mice and birds, nursing puppies, jumping on their owners for a 3:00a.m. wake-up call, stalking inanimate objects, running through a maze, climbing out of an unexpected bath and observing games of slots with their online casino-gambling owners. When you watch funny cat videos and photos you can understand why mental health professionals recommend that their clients get a cat – the cat's gentle nature, combined with its low-maintenance and desire for companionship (admittedly, different cats have different levels of tolerance for companionship, but most want SOME kind of cuddlying and pampering) make cats terrific pets for almost any household. As the cat videos demonstrate, cats are excellent pets for families with children, for seniors, for people with physical or emotional disabilities and all other populations. Anyone who's seen the video of the cat batting a baby swing back and forth (with the baby inside) will want to bring a cat home immediately while those who have had a chance to view videos of cats in therapeutic settings will understand the reasons that the population of "service cats" has begun to expand at a phenomenal rate.
