:Human interaction with cats

File:Cat and human.JPG

File:Juvenile Ragdoll.jpg taken as a pet]]

File:Cat on a Leash Enjoying the Outdoors.jpg

File:Orange Cat In Backyard.jpg

Cats are common pets in all continents of the world permanently inhabited by humans, and their global population is difficult to ascertain, with estimates ranging from anywhere between 200{{nbs}}million to 600{{nbs}}million.{{cite web |title=About Pets |url= http://www.ifaheurope.org/companion-animals/about-pets.html |publisher=IFAH Europe |access-date=3 October 2014 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20141006074439/http://www.ifaheurope.org/companion-animals/about-pets.html |archive-date=6 October 2014}}{{cite journal |title=Tentative estimation of the total number of domestic cats in the world |pmid=3101986 |volume=303 |issue=17 |date=1986 |journal=Comptes Rendus de l'Académie des Sciences, Série III |pages=709–712 |last=Legay |first=J. M.}}{{cite news |title=Cats: Most interesting facts about common domestic pets |url= http://english.pravda.ru/society/family/09-01-2006/9478-cats-0/ |work=Pravda |access-date=3 October 2014 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20141006105806/http://english.pravda.ru/society/family/09-01-2006/9478-cats-0/ |archive-date=6 October 2014 }}{{cite news |title=Study Traces Cat's Ancestry to Middle East |url= https://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/29/science/29cat.html?_r=1& |newspaper=The New York Times |access-date=3 October 2014}}{{cite book |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=xYKqluO6c8UC&q=million+cats+worldwide&pg=PA157 |first1=Stanley D. |last1=Gehrt |first2=Seth P. D. |last2=Riley |first3=Brian L. |last3=Cypher |title=Urban Carnivores: Ecology, Conflict, and Conservation |date=12 March 2010 |publisher=JHU Press |access-date=3 October 2014 |isbn=9780801893896}}{{cite book |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=0HmB3ix5IQ8C&q=million+cats+worldwide&pg=PA47 |first=Irene |last=Rochlitz |title=The Welfare of Cats |date=17 April 2007 |publisher=Springer Science & Business Media |access-date=3 October 2014 |isbn=9781402032271}}

In 1998 there were around 76{{nbs}}million cats in Europe, 7{{nbs}}million in Japan and 3{{nbs}}million in Australia.{{Cite book |editor-last1=Turner |editor-first1=Dennis C. |editor-last2=Bateson |editor-first2=Patrick |title=The Domestic Cat: The Biology of its Behaviour |date=2000 |edition=2nd |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=0521636485}}{{rp|4}} A 2007 report stated that about 37{{nbs}}million US households owned cats, with an average of 2.2{{nbs}}cats per household giving a total population of around 82{{nbs}}million; in contrast, there are about 72{{nbs}}million pet dogs in that country.{{cite web|url=http://www.avma.org/reference/marketstats/ownership.asp |title=Market Research Statistics – U.S. Pet Ownership |publisher=American Veterinary Medical Association |access-date=27 August 2009 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120504104434/http://www.avma.org/reference/marketstats/ownership.asp |archive-date=4 May 2012}} Cats exceeded dogs in number as pets in the United States in 1985 for the first time, in part because the development of cat litter in the mid-20th century eliminated the unpleasantly powerful smell of cat urine.{{cite news |url= https://www.nytimes.com/1995/10/06/us/edward-lowe-dies-at-75-a-hunch-led-him-to-create-kitty-litter.html |title=Edward Lowe Dies at 75; a Hunch Led Him to Create Kitty Litter |work=The New York Times |date=6 October 1995 |access-date=8 March 2013 |last=Thomas |first=Robert McG. Jr.}}

A 2007 Gallup poll reported that men and women in the United States of America were equally likely to own a cat.{{cite web |url= http://www.gallup.com/poll/102952/companionship-love-animals-drive-pet-ownership.aspx |title=Companionship and Love of Animals Drive Pet Ownership |publisher=Gallup, Inc. |first=Jeffrey M. |last=Jones |date=30 November 2007 |access-date=30 August 2009}} The ratio of pedigree/purebred cats to random-bred cats varies from country to country. However, generally speaking, purebreds are less than 10% of the total population.{{cite book |last=Richards |first=James R. |title=ASPCA Complete Guide to Cats |publisher=Chronicle Books |location=San Francisco |date=1 September 1999 |page=[https://archive.org/details/aspcacompletegui00rich/page/65 65] |isbn=0811819299 |url-access=registration |url= https://archive.org/details/aspcacompletegui00rich/page/65}}

{{As of|2021}} in the United States, human owners of cats typically keep cats indoors at all times.{{cite web|last=Kale|first=Sirin |url= https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2021/jul/22/hidden-world-cats-what-feline-friends-doing-when-were-not-looking |title=The hidden world of cats: What our feline friends are doing when we're not looking |newspaper=The Guardian |date=22 July 2021 |access-date=23 July 2021}} In typically rural settings, cats oftentimes live outside and are used as a deterrent to rodents, snakes, and other pests. In the United Kingdom most cats go outdoors from time to time, with 26% being indoors at all times.

The compulsive hoarding of cats, a symptom of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), has long been associated with "cat ladies" although there is no evidence that older women are more likely than other people to hoard cats.{{cite magazine |url= http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/when-more-isnt-enough/201106/animal-hoarding-is-there-such-thing-the-crazy-cat-lady |title=When More Isn't Enough |first1=D. J. |last1=Moran |first2=Jennifer L. |last2=Patterson |magazine=Psychology Today |date=16 June 2011}}

According to the Humane Society of the United States, as well as being kept as pets, cats are also used in the international fur trade.{{cite web|url= http://www.hsus.org/web-files/PDF/What-is-that-they-re-wearing_FurBooklet.pdf|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20061201153853/http://www.hsus.org/web-files/PDF/What-is-that-they-re-wearing_FurBooklet.pdf |archive-date=1 December 2006 |title=What Is That They're Wearing? |publisher=Humane Society of the United States |access-date=22 October 2009}} Cat fur is used in coats, gloves, hats, shoes, blankets and stuffed toys. About 24{{nbs}}cats are needed to make a cat fur coat.{{cite news|url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6165786.stm |title=EU proposes cat and dog fur ban |work=BBC News |access-date=22 October 2009|date=20 November 2006}} This use has now been outlawed in several countries, including the United States, Australia and the European Union countries.{{cite web |url= http://www.hsus.org/about_us/humane_society_international_hsi/hsi_europe/dog_cat_fur/ |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090217153420/http://www.hsus.org/about_us/humane_society_international_hsi/hsi_europe/dog_cat_fur/ |archive-date=17 February 2009 |title=EU Announces Strict Ban on Dog and Cat Fur Imports and Exports |date=27 June 2007 |publisher=Humane Society International |first=Carly |last=Ikuma |work=HSUS.org |access-date=14 December 2011}} However, despite being outlawed, some cat furs are still made into blankets in Switzerland as folk remedies that are believed to help rheumatism.{{Cite news |url= https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/switzerland-finds-a-way-to-skin-a-cat-for-the-fur-trade-and-high-fashion-815426.html |title=Switzerland Finds a Way to Skin a Cat for the Fur Trade and High Fashion |work=The Independent |location=London, England |access-date=23 October 2009 |first=Tony |last=Paterson |date=25 April 2008}}

File:Larry Chief Mouser.jpg, Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office since 2011]]

Cats, as with the traditional farm cat and ship's cat, are also used for pest control, particularly in the case of rat or mouse infestation.{{cite book |title=Clones, Cats, and Chemicals: Thinking Scientifically About Controversial Issues |page=9 |first=Irwin L. |last=Slesnick |date=2004 |publisher=National Science Teachers Association |isbn=9780873552370}}{{cite book |title=Pests of Crops in Warmer Climates and Their Control |page=120 |first=Dennis S. |last=Hill |date=2008 |publisher=Springer |isbn=9781402067372}} As such, they are sometimes referred to as a "mouser",{{cite web |title=Origin and meaning of mouser |url= https://www.etymonline.com/word/mouser |work=Online Etymology Dictionary |access-date=16 January 2018}} and in the United Kingdom there has been one at Number 10 since the 1500s (officially titled 'Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office' since 2011; additional duties include "greeting guests to the house, inspecting security defences, and testing antique furniture for napping quality").{{cite web |title=History of 10 Downing Street |url= https://www.gov.uk/government/history/10-downing-street#larry-chief-mouser |website=Gov.uk |access-date=16 January 2018}}

The current list of cat breeds is quite large, with the US Cat Fanciers' Association recognizing 41{{nbs}}breeds, of which 16 are "natural breeds" that probably emerged before humans began breeding pedigree cats, while the others were developed over the latter half of the 20th century.{{Cite journal |doi=10.1016/j.ygeno.2007.10.009 |volume=91 |issue=1 |pages=12–21 |title=The ascent of cat breeds: Genetic evaluations of breeds and worldwide random-bred populations |journal=Genomics |date=January 2008 |pmid=18060738 |pmc=2267438 |last1=Lipinski |first1=Monika J. |last2=Froenicke |first2=Lutz |last3=Baysac |first3=Kathleen C. |last4=Billings |first4=Nicholas C. |last5=Leutenegger |first5=Christian M. |last6=Levy |first6=Alon M. |last7=Longeri |first7=Maria |last8=Niini |first8=Tirri |last9=Ozpinar |first9=Haydar

}} Because of common crossbreeding, many cats are simply identified as belonging to the homogeneous breeds of domestic longhair and domestic shorthair, depending on their type of fur.

Because of their small size, domesticated house cats pose little physical danger to adult humans. However, in the US cats inflict about 400,000 bites per year that result in emergency room visits, at least 10% of which are bites from cats that were unprovoked.{{Cite journal |last1=Kravetz |first1=J. D. |last2=Federman |first2=D. G. |title=Cat-associated zoonoses |journal=Archives of Internal Medicine |volume=162 |issue=17 |pages=1945–1952 |date=2002 |pmid=12230416 |doi=10.1001/archinte.162.17.1945}} This number represents about one in ten of all animal bites. Cat bites may become infected,{{Cite journal |last1=Talan |first1=D. A. |last2=Citron |first2=D. M. |last3=Abrahamian |first3=F. M. |last4=Moran |first4=G. J. |last5=Goldstein |first5=E. J. |title=Bacteriologic analysis of infected dog and cat bites. Emergency Medicine Animal Bite Infection Study Group |journal=New England Journal of Medicine |volume=340 |issue=2 |pages=85–92 |date=1999 |pmid=9887159 |doi=10.1056/NEJM199901143400202|doi-access=free }} sometimes with serious consequences such as cat-scratch disease, or, very rarely, rabies. Cats may also pose a danger to pregnant women and immunosuppressed individuals, since their feces, in rare cases, can transmit toxoplasmosis.{{Cite journal |last=Torda |first=A. |title=Toxoplasmosis. Are cats really the source? |journal=Australian Family Physician |volume=30 |issue=8 |pages=743–747 |date=2001 |pmid=11681144}} A large percentage of cats are infected with this parasite, with infection rates ranging from around 40 to 60% in both domestic and stray cats worldwide.{{Cite journal |last1=Svobodová |first1=V. |last2=Knotek |first2=Z. |last3=Svoboda |first3=M. |title=Prevalence of IgG and IgM antibodies specific to Toxoplasma gondii in cats |journal=Veterinary Parasitology |volume=80 |issue=2 |pages=173–176 |date=1998 |pmid=9870370 |doi=10.1016/S0304-4017(98)00201-5}}{{Cite journal |last1=Meireles |first1=L. R. |last2=Galisteo |first2=A. J. |last3=Pompeu |first3=E. |last4=Andrade |first4=H. F. |title=Toxoplasma gondii spreading in an urban area evaluated by seroprevalence in free-living cats and dogs |journal=Tropical Medicine & International Health |volume=9 |issue=8 |pages=876–881 |date=2004 |pmid=15303992 |doi=10.1111/j.1365-3156.2004.01280.x |s2cid=35384028 }}{{Cite journal |last1=De Craeye |first1=S. |last2=Francart |first2=A. |last3=Chabauty |first3=J. |title=Prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii infection in Belgian house cats |journal=Veterinary Parasitology |volume=157 |issue=1–2 |pages=128–132 |date=2008 |pmid=18707811 |doi=10.1016/j.vetpar.2008.07.001}} Research indicates a correlation between the parasite Toxoplasma gondii, which sexually reproduces exclusively in cats, and numerous human psychiatric conditions, including OCD.{{cite magazine |url= https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2012/03/how-your-cat-is-making-you-crazy/308873/ |title=How Your Cat Is Making You Crazy |first=Kathleen |last=McAuliffe |magazine=The Atlantic |date=6 February 2012 |access-date=3 June 2013}}

Allergic reactions to cats are relatively common, happening in as many as every 3 in 10 Americans.{{cite web |title=Allergic to Your Pet? Learn about Dog and Cat Allergies |url=https://www.aafa.org/pet-dog-cat-allergies/ |website=www.aafa.org |access-date=4 February 2022}} The major allergen, Fel d 1, is found in the saliva and/or dander of all cat breeds.{{Cite journal |last1=Erwin |first1=E. A. |last2=Woodfolk |first2=J. A. |last3=Custis |first3=N. |last4=Platts-Mills |first4=T. A. |title=Animal danders |journal=Immunology and Allergy Clinics of North America |volume=23 |issue=3 |pages=469–481 |date=2003 |pmid=14524386 |doi=10.1016/S0889-8561(03)00004-3}} There have been attempts to breed hypoallergenic cats, which would be less likely to provoke an allergic reaction.{{Cite journal |doi=10.1038/nbt0205-171 |volume=23 |issue=2 |pages=171–172 |last=Miller |first=Henry |title=Cat and Mouse in Regulating Genetic 'Enhancement' |journal=Nature Biotechnology |date=2005 |pmid=15696141 |s2cid=20754103 |doi-access=free}}{{cite journal |last1=Satorina |first1=Julia |last2=Szalai |first2=Krisztina |last3=Willensdorfer |first3=Anna |last4=Mothes-Luksch |first4=Nadine |last5=Lukschal |first5=Anna |last6=Jensen-Jarolim |first6=Erika |author-link6=Erika Jensen-Jarolim |date=17 March 2014 |title=Do hypoallergenic cats exist? -- Determination of major cat allergen Fel d 1 production in normal and hypoallergenic cat breeds |journal=Clinical and Translational Allergy |volume=4 |issue=2 |page=11 |doi=10.1186/2045-7022-4-S2-P11 |issn=2045-7022 |pmc=4072467 |doi-access=free}} Some humans who are allergic to cats—typically manifested by hay fever, asthma, or a skin rash—quickly acclimate themselves to a particular animal and live comfortably in the same house with it, while retaining an allergy to cats in general.{{cite web|url= http://www.animaltrustees.org/ATA_Web/pdfs/dealingwithcatallergies.pdf |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20070604203854/http://www.animaltrustees.org/ATA_Web/pdfs/dealingwithcatallergies.pdf |archive-date=4 June 2007 |title=Dealing with cat allergies|work=animaltrustees.org}}{{Better source needed |reason=Credentials of author unknown |date=October 2016}} Whether the risk of developing allergic diseases such as asthma is increased or decreased by cat ownership is uncertain.{{Cite journal |doi=10.1097/00130832-200302000-00002 |last1=Simpson |first1=A. |last2=Custovic |first2=A. |title=Early pet exposure: Friend or foe? |journal=Current Opinion in Allergy and Clinical Immunology |volume=3 |issue=1 |pages=7–14 |date=2003 |pmid=12582308 |s2cid=5713721}}{{Cite journal |last1=Simpson |first1=A. |last2=Custovic |first2=A. |title=Pets and the development of allergic sensitization |journal=Current Allergy and Asthma Reports |volume=5 |issue=3 |pages=212–220 |date=2005 |pmid=15842959 |doi=10.1007/s11882-005-0040-x |s2cid=22582593}} Some owners cope with this problem by taking allergy medicine, along with bathing their cats frequently, since weekly bathing will reduce the amount of dander shed by a cat.{{Cite journal |volume=100 |issue=3 |pages=307–312 |last1=Avner |first1=D. B. |title=Evaluation of different techniques for washing cats: quantitation of allergen removed from the cat and the effect on airborne Fel d 1 |journal=Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology |date=1997 |pmid=9314341 |doi=10.1016/S0091-6749(97)70242-2 |last2=Perzanowski |first2=M. S. |last3=Platts-Mills |first3=T. A. |last4=Woodfolk |first4=J. A. |url= http://www.jacionline.org/article/S0091674997702422/pdf |doi-access=free}}

As well as posing health risks, interactions with cats may improve health and reduce physical responses to stress: for example the presence of cats may moderately decrease blood pressure.{{Cite journal |last1=Allen |first1=K. |last2=Blascovich |first2=J. |last3=Mendes |first3=W. B. |title=Cardiovascular reactivity and the presence of pets, friends, and spouses: the truth about cats and dogs |journal=Psychosomatic Medicine |volume=64 |issue=5 |pages=727–739 |date=2002 |pmid=12271103 |doi=10.1097/01.PSY.0000024236.11538.41|s2cid=32265127 |doi-access=free}} Cat ownership may also improve psychological health by providing emotional support and dispelling feelings of depression, anxiety and loneliness.{{Cite book |editor-last=Fogle |editor-first=Bruce |editor-link=Bruce Fogle |title=Interrelations Between People and Pets |date=1981 |publisher=Charles C. Thomas Pub. |isbn=0398041695}}{{rp|23–56}} Their ability to provide companionship and friendship are common reasons given for owning a cat.{{Cite journal |last=Hui Gan |first=Genieve Zhe |last2=Hill |first2=Anne-Marie |last3=Yeung |first3=Polly |last4=Keesing |first4=Sharon |last5=Netto |first5=Julie Anne |date=2020 |title=Pet ownership and its influence on mental health in older adults |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13607863.2019.1633620 |journal=Aging & Mental Health |language=English |volume=24 |issue=10 |pages=1605–1612 |doi=10.1080/13607863.2019.1633620 |issn=1360-7863}}

From another point of view, cats are thought to be able to improve the general mood of their owners by alleviating negative attitudes. According to a Swiss study carried out in 2003, cats may change the overall psychological state of their owner as their company's effect appears to be comparable to that of a human partner.{{Cite journal |last1=Turner |first1=Dennis C. |last2=Rieger |first2=G. |last3=Gygax |first3=L. |url=http://en.scientificcommons.org/20081280 |title=Abstract: 'Spouses and Cats and Their Effects on Human Mood' |website=ScientificCommons.org |publisher=magazine.One UG |location=Berlin |date=2003 |access-date=25 June 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090715153742/http://en.scientificcommons.org/20081280 |archive-date=15 July 2009 }} The researchers concluded that, while cats were not shown to promote positive moods, they do alleviate negative ones.

One study found that cat ownership is associated with a reduced risk of heart attacks and strokes at the 95% confidence interval.{{Cite journal |last1=Qureshi |first1=A. I. |last2=Memon |first2=M. Z. |last3=Vazquez |first3=G. |last4=Suri |first4=M. F. |title=Cat Ownership and the Risk of Fatal Cardiovascular Diseases |journal=Journal of Vascular and Interventional Neurology |volume=2 |issue=1 |pages=132–135 |date=2009 |pmid=22518240 |pmc=3317329}}

Several studies have shown that cats develop affection towards their owners. However, the effect of these pets on human health is closely related to the time and effort the cat owner is able to invest in it, in terms of bonding and playing.{{cite journal |title=Beneficial Effects of Pet Ownership on Some Aspects of Human Health and Behaviour |date=3 October 2011 |pmc=1295517 |volume=84 |issue=12 |pmid=1774745 |last=Serpell |first=J. |pages=717–720 |journal=Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine |doi=10.1177/014107689108401208}}

Ailurophobia is a rare animal phobia affecting humans characterized by the persistent and excessive fear or hate of cats.{{cite journal |last=London |first=Louis S. |date=January 1952 |title=Ailurophobia and ornithophobia: Cat phobia and bird phobia |journal=The Psychiatric Quarterly |volume=26 |issue=1–4 |pages=365–371 |doi=10.1007/BF01568473 |pmid=14949213|s2cid=30238029}} The exact cause of ailurophobia is unknown and potential treatment usually involves therapy.{{Cite web |last=Barnhill |first=John W. |date=April 2020 |title=Specific Phobic Disorders |url= https://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/psychiatric-disorders/anxiety-and-stressor-related-disorders/specific-phobic-disorders |url-status=live |access-date=3 June 2021 |website=Merck Manuals - Professional Version |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150428002229/http://www.merckmanuals.com:80/professional/psychiatric-disorders/anxiety-and-stressor-related-disorders/specific-phobic-disorders |archive-date=28 April 2015}}{{cite book |last1=Milosevic |first1=Irena |last2=McCabe |first2=Randi E. |date=2015 |title=Phobias: The Psychology of Irrational Fear |location=Santa Barbara, California |publisher=ABC-CLIO |pages=11–12 |isbn=9781610695756 |oclc=895030322}} The case of Stephen Bouquet is a classic example of ailurophobia.{{cite web |url= https://www.cps.gov.uk/south-east/news/brighton-cat-killer-jailed |title=Brighton cat killer jailed |publisher=Crown Prosecution Service |date=30 July 2021 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20230214110933/https://www.cps.gov.uk/south-east/news/brighton-cat-killer-jailed |archive-date=14 February 2023}}

File:Unitarian Church Cat Therapy 4.JPG

Some cats, called "therapy cats" are trained to help ailing humans in a medically beneficial way to take advantage of the human-animal interaction for purposes of relaxation and healing. Certain breeds are desirable when looking into therapy cats due to their personality and temperament. Some examples of preferred breeds are Ragdolls, Maine Coons, American Shorthairs, Siamese, and Persians.{{cite web |title=10 Best Emotional Support Cats Breeds |url=https://www.esaregistration.org/blog/emotional-support-cats-breeds/ |website=ESA Registration of America |access-date=11 February 2022}}{{Unreliable source?|date=January 2025}} The important traits to look for in a cat include a steady demeanor with tolerance to sights and sounds that are unfamiliar or sudden, petting that could be awkward or rough, and the ability to stay calm when being poked or pulled in unusual manners. Therapy cats must also be acclimated to humans of all ages and enjoy engaging with strangers daily. Some therapy cats are used as alternatives to therapy dogs due to the cats' size and nature, allowing them to work with patients/people who might otherwise be scared of dogs. Therapy cats should still be accustomed to dogs since most visits happen in conjunction with one another.{{cite web |title=Therapy Cats & Rabbits – Love On A Leash® |url=https://www.loveonaleash.org/therapy-cats-and-rabbits/ |website=Love on a Leash |access-date=11 February 2022}}

The presence of cats in addition to their purring as well as petting them can deliver both psychological and physical benefits.{{cite book |last1=Bernstein |first1=Penny L. |title=The Welfare of Cats |chapter=The Human-Cat Relationship |chapter-url=https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-1-4020-3227-1_3 |series="Animal Welfare" series |publisher=Springer Netherlands |access-date=11 February 2022 |pages=47–89 |doi=10.1007/978-1-4020-3227-1_3 |date=2007 |volume=3 |isbn=9781402032264}} Therapy cats are being used as companions to help the recovery and well-being of people who have had strokes,{{cite news |first=Linda |last=Wilson Fuoco |title=Pet Tales: Paralyzed therapy cat inspires patients |newspaper=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette |date=24 July 2010 |url= http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10205/1074966-62.stm |access-date=14 January 2012}} high blood pressure,{{cite news |agency=Associated Press |title=Pet therapy for humans who need it most |work=Naperville Sun |date=4 August 2011 |url= http://napervillesun.suntimes.com/lifestyles/3430464-417/therapy-pet-naperville-reading-area.html?print=true |archive-url= https://archive.today/20130203052209/http://napervillesun.suntimes.com/lifestyles/3430464-417/therapy-pet-naperville-reading-area.html?print=true |archive-date=3 February 2013 |access-date=14 January 2012}}{{cite news |agency=Associated Press |title=Even hairless Sphynx cats give patients a warm, fuzzy feeling |newspaper=USA Today |date=1 December 2009 |url= https://www.usatoday.com/life/lifestyle/pets/2009-12-02-sphynx02_ST_N.htm |access-date=14 January 2012}} anxiety, and/or depression to name a few.{{Cite journal |last=Si̇nmez |first=Çağrı Çağlar |last2=Meti̇n |first2=Ahmet |last3=Tüfekçi̇ |first3=Emre |last4=Aykun |first4=Ali İlteriş |last5=Güneş |first5=Vehbi |date=2024 |title=Predictors on mental health of owning cats and dogs |url= |journal=Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences |volume=48 |issue=4 |pages=180–189 |doi=10.55730/1300-0128.4353|doi-access=free }}

Therapy cats are utilized as companions at juvenile detention centers;{{cite news |agency=Associated Press |title=Missing NY therapy cat found |work=The Wall Street Journal |date=10 January 2012 |url=https://online.wsj.com/article/AP44374f921d6442a994213f920c79193f.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130209142035/http://online.wsj.com/article/AP44374f921d6442a994213f920c79193f.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=9 February 2013 |access-date=14 January 2012 }}{{cite news |author= |title=Jersey City dance school mourns loss of therapy cat |newspaper=The Jersey Journal |date=4 March 2011 |url= http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/2011/03/jersey_city_dance_school_mourn.html |access-date=14 January 2012}} for children with developmental disabilities; and for children with language, speech and hearing difficulties.{{cite news |first=Shelby |last=Grad |title=Show Cats Just Purrfect for Therapy |work=Los Angeles Times |date=4 June 1993 |url= https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-06-04-me-43205-story.html |access-date=14 January 2012}} Therapy cats are also sometimes used in hospitals to relax children who are staying there,{{cite web |last1=Center |first1=AniMeals No-Kill Adoption |last2=Bank |first2=Animal Food |title=The Special Love of Therapy Cats |url= https://animeals.wordpress.com/2012/04/10/the-special-love-of-therapy-cats-via-catsplay-com/ |website=Animeals.WordPress.com |access-date=11 February 2022 |date=10 April 2012}}{{unreliable source?|certain=y|date=September 2023|reason=Just some random blog.}} as well as helping those in hospice care cope with their terminal illness.{{cite journal |last1=Tomaszewska |first1=Katarzyna |last2=Bomert |first2=Iga |last3=Wilkiewicz-Wawro |first3=Elżbieta |title=Feline-assisted therapy: Integrating contact with cats into treatment plans |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1230801316300613 |journal=Polish Annals of Medicine |access-date=11 February 2022 |pages=283–286 |doi=10.1016/j.poamed.2016.11.011 |date=1 August 2017|volume=24 |issue=2}}

A natural behavior in cats is to hook their front claws periodically into suitable surfaces and pull backwards. Cats, like humans, keep their muscles trim and their body flexible by stretching. Additionally, such periodic scratching serves to clean and sharpen their claws.{{Cite journal |last=Landsberg |first=G. M. |title=Feline scratching and destruction and the effects of declawing |journal=Veterinary Clinics of North America: Small Animal Practice |volume=21 |issue=2 |pages=265–279 |date=1991 |doi=10.1016/s0195-5616(91)50032-2 |pmid=2053250}} Indoor cats may benefit from being provided with a scratching post so that they are less likely to use carpet or furniture, which they can easily ruin.{{cite web |title=FAB Information Sheet: Scratching or Clawing in the House |url= http://www.fabcats.org/behaviour/scratching/info.html |date=February 2008 |work=FABCats.org |publisher=Feline Advisory Bureau |location=Tisbury, England |access-date=14 August 2005}} However, some cats may simply ignore such a device. Commercial scratching posts typically are covered in carpeting or upholstery. Using a plain wooden surface, or reversing the carpeting on the posts so that the rougher texture of the carpet backing faces outward, may be a more attractive alternative to the cat than the floor covering. Scratching posts made of sisal rope or corrugated cardboard are also common.

Although scratching can serve cats to keep their claws from growing excessively long, their nails can be trimmed if necessary. Another response to indoor scratching is onychectomy, commonly known as declawing. This is a surgical procedure to remove the claw and first bone of each digit of a cat's paws. Declawing is most commonly only performed on the front feet. A related procedure is tendonectomy, which involves cutting a tendon needed for cats to extend their claws.{{Cite journal |last=Swiderski |first=J. |title=Onychectomy and its alternatives in the feline patient |journal=Clinical Techniques in Small Animal Practice |volume=17 |issue=4 |pages=158–161 |date=2002 |pmid=12587280 |doi=10.1053/svms.2002.36604}} Declawing is a major surgical procedure and can produce pain and infections.

Since this surgery is almost always performed for the benefit of owners, it is controversial and remains uncommon outside of North America.[https://www.avma.org/KB/Resources/Backgrounders/Pages/Welfare-Implications-of-Declawing-of-Domestic-Cats-Backgrounder.aspx Welfare Implications of Declawing of Domestic Cats] {{webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20140313210532/https://www.avma.org/KB/Resources/Backgrounders/Pages/Welfare-Implications-of-Declawing-of-Domestic-Cats-Backgrounder.aspx |date=13 March 2014}} American Veterinary Medical Association 9 April 2009 In many countries, declawing is prohibited by animal welfare laws and it is ethically controversial within the veterinary community.{{Cite journal |last=Patronek |first=G. J. |title=Assessment of claims of short- and long-term complications associated with onychectomy in cats |journal=Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association |volume=219 |issue=7 |pages=932–937 |date=2001 |pmid=11601788 |doi=10.2460/javma.2001.219.932 |url=http://symptomresearch.nih.gov/chapter_1/index.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100807023453/http://symptomresearch.nih.gov/chapter_1/index.htm |archive-date=7 August 2010}} While both the Humane Society of the United States and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals strongly discourage or condemn the procedure,{{cite web |url=http://www.pawproject.org/html/acknow.asp |title=Paw Project Acknowledgements |publisher=Pawproject.org |date=20 February 2011 |access-date=30 October 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110816052407/http://www.pawproject.org/html/acknow.asp |archive-date=16 August 2011}} the American Veterinary Medical Association supports the procedure under certain guidelines and finds "no scientific evidence that declawing leads to behavioral abnormalities when the behavior of declawed cats is compared with that of cats in control groups."{{cite web|url=http://www.avma.org/issues/policy/animal_welfare/declawing.asp |title=Issues: AVMA Policy: Declawing of Domestic Cats |publisher=American Veterinary Medical Association |work=AVMA.org |date=April 2009 |access-date=30 July 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100629110052/http://www.avma.org/issues/policy/animal_welfare/declawing.asp |archive-date=29 June 2010}} They further argue that many cats would be given up and euthanized were declawing not performed.

File:Cat claw closeup.jpg|Close-up of a cat's claw

File:Larry the cat getting his nails trimmed (VID 20210408 123153).webm|Cat getting his nails trimmed

File:Toilet Trained Cat 22 Aug 2005.jpg

Being fastidious self-cleaners, cats detest their own waste and instinctually bury their urine and feces. House cats are usually provided with a box containing litter, generally consisting of bentonite, but sometimes other absorbent material such as shredded paper or wood chips, or sometimes sand or similar material can be used. It should be cleaned daily and changed often, depending on the number of cats using it and the type of litter; if it is not kept clean, a cat may be fastidious enough to find other locations for urination or defecation. This may also happen for other reasons; for instance, if a cat becomes constipated and defecation is uncomfortable, it may associate the discomfort with the litter box and avoid it in favor of another location.

Daily attention to the litter box also serves as a monitor of the cat's health. Bentonite or clumping litter is a variation which absorbs urine into clumps which can be sifted out along with feces, and thus stays cleaner longer with regular sifting, but has sometimes been reported to cause health problems in some cats.{{Cite journal|pmid=8888544 |date=1996 |last1=Hornfeldt |first1=CS |last2=Westfall |title=Suspected bentonite toxicosis in a cat from ingestion of clay cat litter |volume=38 |issue=5 |pages=365–366 |journal=Veterinary and Human Toxicology}}

Some cats can be trained to use the human toilet, eliminating the litter box and its attendant expense, unpleasant odor, and the need to use landfill space for disposal.

An exhibit at the San Diego Natural History Museum states that cat feces from urban runoff carry Toxoplasma gondii parasites to the ocean and kill sea otters.{{Cite web |url= https://caseagrant.ucsd.edu/sites/default/files/importedFiles/Conrad_CZ169.pdf |title=Parasite Shed in Cat Feces Kills Sea Otters}}

{{main|Pet humanization}}

Pet humanization is a form of anthropomorphism in which cats are kept for companionship and treated more like human family members than traditional pets.[https://static1.squarespace.com/static/57f414e0b8a79bc04e0a2729/t/6081b71ec312977485a24fa4/1619113759478/CD-The+Rise+of+Pet+Humanization.pdf The Rise of Pet Humanization] This trend of pet culture involves providing cats with a higher level of care, attention and often even luxury, similar to the way humans are treated.[https://advantagesolutions.net/news/the-humanization-of-pets/ The Humanization of Pets] The phenomenon of pet humanization refers to cats that are treated, cared for and valued in a manner that mirrors the way humans are treated within a family or social context. It involves attributing human-like qualities, emotions and needs to cats and providing them with care, attention and comforts similar to those given to human family members. In a pet-humanized context, cats kept as pets are often regarded as beloved members of the family, rather than just animals or possessions.

Cats and humans evolutionarily diverged from a common ancestor (boreoeutherian ancestor) approximately 80 million years ago, accumulating only 10–12 chromosomal translocations.{{cite book |first1=Anatoly |last1=Ruvinsky |first2=Jennifer A. |last2=Marshall Graves |title=Mammalian Genomics |publisher=CABI |date=2005 |page=365 |isbn=0851990754}} The order of eight genes on the cats' Y chromosome closely resembles that in humans.{{cite web |url= http://www.genomenewsnetwork.org/articles/04_00/cat_humans.shtml |title=Cats and humans share similar X and Y chromosomes |first=Sharon |last=Guynup |publisher=Genome News Network |date=21 April 2000 |access-date=14 February 2015}} Genes on X chromosomes of cats and humans are arranged in a similar way.

Domestic cats are affected by over 250 naturally occurring hereditary disorders, many of which are similar to those in humans, such as diabetes, hemophilia and Tay–Sachs disease.{{cite web |url= http://genome.cshlp.org/site/press/CatGenomeSequence.xhtml |title=Domestic cat genome sequenced |work=Genome Research |publisher=Cold Spring Habor Laboratory Press |access-date=14 February 2015}} For example, Abyssinian cat's pedigree contains a genetic mutation that causes retinitis pigmentosa, which also affects humans. The domestic cat is also an excellent model for human infectious diseases, including HIV/AIDS. Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) is a genetic relative of HIV.

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