Cats rule the Internet

Do you watch cat videos on the Internet? There is hardly anyone who does not. Even many people who do not like cats sometimes take a moment to watch a cat video and relax. I have three cats at home and see their antics 'live', but still, I do not mind watching a cat video or two. Of course, there is usually no stopping until you have watched a whole lot of cat videos. There is even the true story of an American worker who outsourced someone in China to do his work while he watched cat videos all day. He was sacked when his boss found out.

According to the latest research, there is a reason why Internet users are so obsessed with cat videos. From Lil Bub to Grumpy Cat, online feline stars aren't just entertaining, watching them could also make people healthier. A new study has found that cat footage boosts viewers' energy and emotions, while decreasing negative feelings.

Videos

The study, led by assistant professor Jessica Gall Myrick and Indiana University, surveyed almost 7,000 people about their viewing of cat videos and how it affects their moods. Among the possible effects Myrick hoped to explore was whether cat videos online have the same kind of positive impact as pet therapy. He also wanted to find out if viewers actually feel worse after watching cat videos because they feel guilty for putting off tasks they need to tackle.

There were more than two million cat videos posted on YouTube in 2014, with almost 26 billion views, not counting cat videos on sites such as Facebook. Cat videos have more views per video than any other category of YouTube content. This phenomenon started with the enormously popular website I Can Has Cheezburger where people post photos of cats with funny captions. The site now hosts videos as well. Now it has spread to all corners of the Internet - and the globe.

Cute

Of the participants in the study, about 36 per cent described themselves as a 'cat person,' while about 60 per cent said they liked both cats and dogs. There are dog videos on the Internet that are equally cute, not to mention videos featuring both species at play together. (The two can get along famously, especially if introduced early in their lives). But people somehow prefer the cat videos more, for whatever reason.

The participants said they were more energetic and felt more positive after watching cat-related online media than before. They also had fewer emotions, such as anxiety, annoyance and sadness, which watching internet cats at work or during study. They also did not feel guilty - the pleasure they got from watching cat videos outweighed any misgiving about procrastinating. About 25 per cent of the cat videos they watched were ones they sought out; the rest were ones they happened upon. According to the study, if you currently own or have previously owned a cat - or if you have volunteered to assist pets in the past - you are more likely to watch cat videos.

Another research published in the journal Activities, Adaption & Aging says that medical problems that arise with older adults, such as physical illness and emotional issues, have the potential to be mitigated by companionship of pets (cats and dogs) because it reduces social isolation and enhances physical activity. Animals also provide companionship for lonely elders.

Research

Such research confirms what most cat 'owners' already know - that cats are stress busters. Cats are still wild creatures at heart - fiercely independent and completely unpredictable. There is no doubt that they love their humans - but on their own terms. New research indicates that cats have been with humans for more than 10,000 years. Dogs have been with us far longer, but cats have learned fast to be close to humans.

But what if you want to pet a real live cat and you are not in a position to adopt one (say, if you live in a condominium)? The latest solution is the cat café, where one can relax with a real feline while having a coffee or fruit juice. These cafes have become enormously popular in major cities around the world, hot on the heels of similar dog cafes. London will become one of the few cities to have not one but two cat cafes soon. According to one operator, "Cats are very therapeutic animals and visitors will get to have an experience that's not just eating and drinking but having something to talk about as well".

Moreover, the cats at most cat cafes can be adopted if a customer wants to have a closer relationship with a chosen cat.

There are those who believe that all that purring, licking and being available for stroking is just an elaborate and effective ruse for getting food and a warm place to sleep. A cat will not usually come to your lap if you call its name, but it will come when it wants, on its own terms. Animal behaviour expert and Californian vet Dr Gary Weitzman, the author of a new book from National Geographic titled "How To Speak Cat" however thinks and argues that cats are far more loving and dependent on human affection than many of us realise. They do have a better range of vocalizations than dogs to communicate with humans - most pet owners do not realise it, but adult cats usually only meow as a signal to humans. Scientists say that cats meow to each other as kittens, but as soon as they hit adulthood they stop meowing to each other except in very specific circumstances.

Emotions

And cats and humans share more or less the same places in the brain for emotions. "Cats have a bond with humans, but while we train dogs to do what we want, cats train us to do what they want," says Weitzman.

Nothing could be more truthful than that. With such an interesting and beguiling relationship, it is not surprising that cats dominate the Internet.