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In early 2015, PetSmart Charities conducted a nationwide survey* of 1,023 people to learn what they think about cats and cat owners.
We asked the survey participants about everything from stereotypes of cat owners to cat memes and videos. Their responses showed that we could improve cats’ lives by being proud of our loyalty to our feline friends.
People learn about cats from friends, family and the Internet
Respondents cited friends and family who own cats as their most common sources of information about cats (74%). People also said they got information about cats through past (66%) or current (54%) experience owning a cat. More than half of respondents said they got cat information from animal welfare organizations.
We all know how popular cats are on the Internet — who hasn’t seen cat memes and videos shared online? More than a third of respondents said they learned information about cats from Internet videos or social media.
Furthermore, the survey showed that cat owners view and share more cat content than the broader population. More than half of cat owners said they talk about their cat or share cat videos.
Cats (and their people) face an uphill battle
But we wondered whether or not that Internet popularity was actually benefiting cats in real life — especially homeless cats still seeking their forever homes. We asked people about the qualities they associate with cats. A majority of respondents said cats are intelligent, loving, cuddly and attractive.
On the other hand, a majority also chose “moody,” “stubborn,” “aloof” and “grouchy” to describe cats. Also, fewer than half of the survey participants thought cats were protective, loyal, playful, silly or friendly.
The survey showed that negative stereotypes also affect perceptions of cat owners and cat lovers. Most pervasive is the “cat lady” — nearly half (49%) of survey participants still buy in to this stereotype.
19% of respondents said that there are not as many adoptable cats in shelters as there are dogs. In reality, more cats than dogs are euthanized in shelters simply to make more space. The PetSmart Charities 2014 U.S. Shelter Pet Report showed that 27% of people considering a new pet said they would not choose a cat.
Change is in the air for cats and cat owners
We have reason to be optimistic, though: 56% said the stereotypes about cats are untrue, and 71% of respondents said stigmas about cat owners are outdated. Almost two-thirds (61%) believe too many people have negative impressions of cat owners.
Overall, most respondents said they like cat owners (82%). Three-quarters said they believe cats make great pets (77%) and they would be proud to say they have a cat (78%). 56% believe that more people would have a cat if the stereotypes about cats and their parents were removed.
More than half of the survey participants said that cat people are intelligent, independent, warm and friendly, and attractive. Cat owners were more emphatic in their responses. For example, 63% of respondents said cat people are attractive; among cat owners, 72% thought cat people are attractive.
Do your part to help end stereotypes
Cat lovers can help boost people’s perceptions of cats and their owners by spreading the word. Let’s show our friends and family that we’re proud to share our lives with our wonderful cats!
Together we can change how people see felines and their fabulous friends. Here’s how you can help homeless cats now:
* The PetSmart Charities survey was fielded via Toluna Analytics to more than 1,000 U.S.-based respondents over the age of 18 in February 2015. It has a +/- 3% margin of error.