How Cat Crazy Are You?
May 31, 2017
The symptoms, the cures, the cats…we all know someone who is simply bonkers over anything that has to do with cats! From addictions to cat videos, to all the cat paraphernalia one could handle. Are you simply cat mad? Or completely cat crazy?
It all starts with one little loveable kitten, however, some people’s obsession with cats can become a chronic case of cat overload.
CAT CRAZY SYMPTOMS
- Have at least one cat coffee mug
- Have more than one cat
- Laugh out loud when watching cat videos
- Seek out cat cards for birthdays
- Have a picture of your cat as a screen saver
- Know the names of Taylor Swift’s cats
- Know who ‘Grumpy Cat’ is
- Scan Facebook for cat videos
- Slow blink at strange cats
If you can tick the box of at least three of these, it’s obvious you are certainly a cat lover! Even non-cat people are drawn to the overload of cat videos on YouTube. In fact; there are over 2 million cat videos on YouTube and they have approximately 25 BILLION views! That’s a serious number of crazy cats jumping out of boxes and looking incredibly cute.
Our love for cats has even evoked scientific research. Jessica Gall Myrick researched emotion regulation, procrastination, and watching cat videos online: Who watches internet cats, why, and to what effect? What she discovered was that a real sense of happiness is gained from viewing crazy cats on the internet. Negative emotions go down, and positive emotions go up. Meaning that watching cat videos can have a real impact on our mental well-being.
Apparently cat lovers also share similar personality traits. A study conducted by Physiologist Sam Gosling, from the University of Texas asked 4,565 people if they were dog people, cat people, neither or both. The group was then given an assessment that measured their personality. What he found was interesting;
- Cat lovers are more neurotic than dog lovers
- Cat lovers were more open than dog lovers
‘Openness’ also involved a general appreciation for art, adventure, emotions and imagination. Perhaps that’s why there is such an array of artistic cats on mugs?
But when does a love for cats turn into an unhealthy cat obsession?
Sadly, animal hording is a huge international problem. In a recent case, a woman was found to have 41 cats living in her car only a year after being convicted of animal cruelty for hoarding more than 100 cats in a caravan! This type of extreme cat obsession is not healthy; not for the cats or humans involved.
I think it’s safe to say that if you currently have a handful of cats and you are seriously considering purchasing or rescuing another, it may be a good idea to explore the reasons why? If you suspect it could be turning from cat love, into a slight cat obsession, it’s advisable to seek help.
Studies indicate that women are much more likely to hoard cats, while men are more likely to hoard dogs. In a 1999-American study which surveyed animal shelter operators and their direct experiences with people who hoard animals, an ‘animal hoarder’ is defined as someone who accumulates a large number of animals, fails to provide minimal standards of nutrition, sanitation and veterinary care. It’s someone who fails to act on the deteriorating condition of the animals (including disease, starvation and even death), or the environment (severely overcrowded and unsanitary conditions), or the negative impact of the collection on their own health and well-being.
Shockingly, the study estimated that in the US alone, 700 to 2 000 new cases of animal hoarding are reported each year!
More content on basic cat care found here
