International Cat Day: Celebrating Our Love for Cats, All Over the World
Pet love is global: more than half of people internationally have a pet living with them. Argentina, Mexico and Brazil have highest percentage of pet owners, followed by Russia and USA. One third of the pet-owning households in the US own a cat, and it’s easy to understand why. Cats are great for families, they groom themselves, and they can comfortably live in homes of any size (including homes with no yard).
Most owners feel a responsibility to protect the health of the animals in their care. In doing so, they’re also protecting the hugely beneficial relationships we have with these animals. Children can learn a sense of responsibility from caring for their pet cat, and research suggests that having a pet around the home in their first year can protect children from allergies later in life.
For adults, cats have a proven positive effect on stress and anxiety. Pets like cats can ease feelings of loneliness in elderly people and help them feel safe; one study found that 95 per cent of elderly people talk to their pets.
Animal medicines allow our pets to live as long and comfortable lives as possible, supporting this crucial bond. Perhaps more importantly, medicines give us the opportunity to protect the health of the animals that do so much for our own well being.