The Popularity of Cats in Human Life

Domestic cats are the most popular animals today and there are already hundreds of millions of cats reared by humans. Cats are also used to trade feathers, food and to control pests.

Animals

Cats are the most common and well-kept pets in Europe and North America, cat populations worldwide are very difficult to predict with an estimated between 200 million and 700 million heads. In 1998 there were about 76 million cats living in the European region, 7 million in Japan and 3 million in the Australian region. A 2007 report states that about 37 million homes in the United States have cat pets, whereas there are approximately 72 million dogs maintained in those countries. This proves that in the United States the number of cat keepers more than dogs since 1985.

Although ownership of cats has been heavily linked to women, a Gallup poll in 2007 reported that men and women, have the same possibilities in terms of cat ownership.

Feathers

According to the Humane Society of the United States, besides being kept cats are also used in terms of international fur trade. Cat fur used to be made into coats, hats, shoes, gloves, blankets and toy dolls. To make one coat of cat fur it takes about 24 cats to take the fur. It is now banned in several countries including the United States, European Union and Australia. But there are still some cats whose feathers are made into blankets in Switzerland as traditional medicines that are believed to help cure rheumatic diseases.

Cat Meat

Cats have become commonplace for food in China and in some other Asian countries. Estimates that in the province of Guangdong, the Chinese people can eat a cat in one day as many as 10 thousand head. The Animal People organization has estimated that every year in the Asian region there are about 4 million cats killed for food.

Pest Control

Cats are animals that are used as pest control animals such as to eradicate rodents like rats in the fields.
Effect On Human Health. Because of the size of a small cat a domesticated cat cat can pose little physical harm to humans. But in the United States the cat has caused at least 400 thousand cat bites per year. Many of the bites that come from cats cause infections and can sometimes even cause diseases like rabies. Cats may also pose a danger to an expectant and immunosuppressive mother (associated with immune system suppression), since cat feces may transmit toxoplasmosis (a common parasitic infection of cat litter and contaminated food)

Allergic reactions to cat's fur or cat's saliva are common. Humans who are allergic to animals are usually symptoms such as fever, skin inflammation and asthma. In addition to the health risks to the cat can also improve health and reduce the feeling of stress. Maintain the cat can also improve the psychological health of being able to provide support in the form of emotional and relieve feelings of anxiety, depression, and loneliness. There is one study that says people who keep cats can lower the risk of heart attack and stroke.

Reference

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