Here at 10K Humans, we are a team of pet lovers. Our furry friends are part of the family! To celebrate National Cat Day, one of our resident cat lovers is sharing some stats and dispelling some myths about our feline friends!

Every time I bring into a conversation the fact that I live with 6 cats, the most common questions are:

Is that sanitary?

Why do you have so many?

Is everything ok at home?

My response? “I just LOVE cats!”

So, in highlight of National Cat Day this October 29th, I’m going to let you in on the inner workings of a self-confessed ‘cat lady’.

Now, I’m not alone here when it comes to my cat obsession. According to the American Pet Product Association, there are approximately 85 million pet-owning households in the United States. This has led to a boom in the pet accessories market with an estimated worth of US$19.6 billion in 2021, and a re-adjusted forecast size of US$32.3 billion by 2028. The US makes up a whopping 35% of this growth!

Just like humans need certain accessories to help with daily routine, so do cats. Accessories such as litter boxes, food bowls and leashes lightens the maintenance tasks for cat owners and provide furry friends with a certain level of comfort (and style!). And, it’s growing - the rise in adoption rates since the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis has seen the pet accessories market grow exponentially, with nearly 1 in 5 households acquiring a cat or dog, accounting for approximately 23 million American households based on the 2019 US Census.

Despite the increase of cat lovers over recent years, there are still many misconceptions about the often mischievous fur babies that may be holding potential new owners from adopting.

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Here are three of the most common cat myths!

1). Cats are all the same. They don’t have personalities.

Research involving 200 cats and their owners, conducted by the University of Lincoln in England, reports that cats have 5 main personality types! I have six cats (a small sample size), and do agree that they are all widely different from one another.

Take my little Chelito for example, he is ALWAYS looking for me and becomes desperate if he doesn’t get a cuddle on demand. And my youngest fur ball Lily is a very nervous young lady. I believe this stems from the circumstances of how she was found in the middle of the street surrounded by cars, and loud noises. But despite her skittish behavior, it’s quite clear that she does truly care about me. Her snuggles are undeniable.

2). Cats just come and go as they please.

Routine assists cats feel confident and safe. In fact, routines are so important to cats that having them disrupted can impact their physical health.

If I don’t wake up at 5am every morning and “comply” with my cat’s breakfast schedule, you better believe that they will annoy me until they get fed. Their uncanny knack for keeping such precise schedules dumbfounds me. I feel like they secretly know how to tell time!

3). Cats hate dogs

Not only do I have 6 cats, but I also have 2 dogs (I promise I’m not crazy!), and I am happy to say that we all get along perfectly well. My cats love my dogs dearly. They’re best friends. In fact, more than 25% of households with cats also have dogs too!

In conclusion, happy National Cat Day! Finally, I’m going to leave you with more pics of my beloved little cat family. Enjoy!

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