From taking and sharing photos to cuddling their pets, cat owners spend 1,016 hours a year with their feline, according to new research.
The survey of 1,000 cat owners examined just how much these furry ones mean to their owners and found the average respondent has two cats in their home.
With nearly 20 hours a week devoted to their feline friends, it comes as no surprise that the average cat owner documents their love frequently.
Conducted by OnePoll on behalf of Fresh Step litter in honor of National Cat Day on Oct. 29, the survey found today’s cat owners take seven photos of their cat daily; that includes three solely of their fluffy friend and four more photos of themselves with their cat.
In fact, 41 percent of cat owners have a framed photo of either their own cat or another beloved feline to admire.
Eighty-four percent of cat lovers said they treat their felines as if they are a part of their human family.
One respondent even said that they always buy something for their cat whenever they shop for their children.
Respondents’ feline love extends to those outside their family too — with owners following an average of seven cat-related accounts on social media.
The survey also found that half of cat owners came to love their felines through some form of adoption — with 22 percent adopting from a county or state shelter, 16 percent adopting from a friend or relative and 13 percent adopting from a cat-specific rescue.
“Millions of cats enter shelters each year yet less than half get adopted. We understand how rewarding it is to have cats in our lives, which is why Fresh Step is on a mission to help every shelter cat find a forever home,” said Lauren May, associate director, Clorox Pet Products. “Through shelter partnership programs, we have donated millions of dollars and more than six million scoops of litter to help shelter cats get adopted.”
The love respondents have for their furry friends doesn’t stop with cats, as nearly 30 percent of respondents identified as a lover of both cats and dogs equally.
Cats sometimes get a bad reputation as being aloof or not as loving as dogs — but the results showed otherwise.
A whopping 60 percent of respondents said their cats were loyal and 53 percent said they were well-behaved.
Cats may be so loyal, in fact, that nearly half of respondents said their cat often cuddles with them — and 59 percent said their felines snuggle up directly to them.
Not only is cuddling their cat soothing, but over three-quarters of owners said that talking to their cat can even be a form of therapy.
Whether it was moving to a new city (36 percent), starting a new job (33 percent) or even bereavement (33 percent), owners said their cats helped them through difficult times.
When it comes down to who cat lovers would rather spend time with — 66 percent said they would actually rather snuggle up with their feline instead of spending time with friends.
Cat lovers are so devoted, in fact, that half of those surveyed purchased electronic toys to entertain their cat when they can’t do it themselves.
Some owners even built their cats their own climbing towers (40 percent) and even “catios” — outdoor enclosures — for their cats to roam about (37 percent).
Showing how much they love their cats, 65 percent of owners have traveled with their fluffy one and another 65 percent said they would take a cat-themed vacation.
“We are excited to offer the Ultimate Cat Lover’s Vacation to Japan through our Paw Points loyalty program,” said May. “The trip includes two round-trip tickets to Tokyo, a private tour of cat-themed locations, tickets to Hello Kitty Land, $1,000 of spending money and a free year’s supply of Fresh Step Clean Paws litter. To enter, join Fresh Step Paw Points loyalty program at freshstep.com where you can earn points for cat toys, free litter and even donate your points to a shelter.”
TOP FIVE CAT PURR-SONALITIES
- Loyal 60%
- Playful 57%
- Reserved 54%
- Well-behaved 53%
- Shy 51%
TOP 10 CAT-THEMED ITEMS CAT LOVERS OWN
- Clothing 44%
- Framed photo of a cat 42%
- Calendar 39%
- Cell phone case 38%
- Bed sheets or blankets 38%
- Posters 37%
- Coloring books 37%
- Coffee mugs 37%
- Stuffed animals 36%
- Key chain 36%
Owners spend 19.54 hours a week with their cat
19.54 x 52 weeks a year = 1,016.08 hours a year
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