UPDATED Januery 12th, 2018
Are you one of those people who internally cringes every time your friend’s cat wriggles past your legs at a dinner party? Maybe it’s time to pay heed to the words of the great Sigmund Freud: Time spent with cats is never wasted.
June 4 is Hug Your Cat Day, so you might consider making a donation to your local animal shelter. Scientists believe cats have lived with people for at least 12,000 years. Cat domestication began in the ancient Near East, probably when humans allowed wild cats to hunt mice and other pests around homes and farms. It is said that cats actually domesticated themselves. Unlike the dog, which humans have actively tamed and bred, cats seem to have adopted the domestic lifestyle on their own.
But we get it. You’re a dog person. Fine. So why not briefly stop to consider some of the many cat virtues, and perhaps you’ll come to the revelation that felines can be your friends, too. Maybe you’ve been thinking of adopting a cat but you’re afraid it won’t get along with your dog, Well, rest easy. Cats and dogs can get along just fine and cats are no harder than dogs to take care of, maybe even easier. To further increase your comfort level, here are 20 cat virtues that dog people should know.
1. Their Purr is calming, like ambient white noise.
When cats are happy or content, they purr. All domestic and wild cats seem to be able to make a purring sound when they’re relaxing. Some domestic cats also purr under stress. Just exactly how cats purr is still under debate. But, most scientists believe they do it by vibrating their larynx.
