Pangur Ban pussycat at his post on my desk when I am working[/caption]
Doing research for today's SR I came across this story about pussycats, and looked down at Pangur Ban, my feline companion of the last 18 years. It turns out we owe pussycats a lot. Here's the data.
Credit: Shutterstock
The bird experts and authors of the book Cat Wars recently called for all free-roaming cats to be euthanised or kept on a lead. They argue that cats’ tendency to kill birds and small mammals has lead to a catastrophic decline in the numbers of these creatures. As humans’ most popular pet, it’s inevitable that cats would have some effect on the environment, but when it comes to cats we have lots to be thankful for.
Anthrozoology, the study of human-animal interaction – which encompasses aspects of medicine, veterinary science, education and social work – has revealed the significant benefit to people and the economy of pets, or “companion animals” to give them their preferred title. As cats are such common pets and their relationship with humans so culturally embedded, it’s not surprising to find that they have been the subject of many studies.
For example, The Cats Protection charity summarises the wealth of scientific findings highlighting the benefit of cats, including reducing childhood allergies and school absenteeism in children, improving mental health, […]
