Dr. Madeleine Totham is a UK-based veterinary surgeon and ABTC-registered Veterinary Behaviorist at Cat Behaviour Vet. She provides both home-based and fully online consultations for cats. “Cats are very expressive, and people often interpret their behavior as familiar human emotions, which makes them particularly easy to anthropomorphize.” Dr. Madeleine Totham explained to Bored Panda. This makes them a frequent subject in relatable online memes.
“Unfortunately, some memes portray cats as spiteful or difficult when the behavior shown may reflect fear, frustration, or pain.” She expands by saying, “A great deal of feline body language and behavior is misinterpreted. Rolling onto the back and exposing the belly is not necessarily an invitation to touch; it may indicate that a cat feels secure, although context is important.”
A misunderstanding floats in online forums that pet cats are selfish creatures. Dr. Madeleine Totham says, “This idea comes from misunderstanding their behavior and needs, particularly when these differ from what humans want from them. Cats need a secure territory and reliable access to essential resources, and restrictions or competition around these can cause stress and anxiety. They prefer frequent, low-intensity interactions with humans in which they retain choice and control.” A better understanding of feline body language is necessary to respond appropriately and improve cats’ welfare.
Although cats lend themselves to humorous online content, “Deliberately frightening or provoking a cat to obtain a “funny” reaction is not acceptable and may increase anxiety and undermine the cat’s trust in people,” says Dr. Madeleine Totham. “The best memes capture their individuality and everyday quirks without causing distress or suggesting that normal feline behavior is malicious or ridiculous.”
Pet ownership is becoming increasingly popular. A recent survey revealed that over 75% of people live in dog-owning households, and almost 60% in cat-owning households in the US. While dog ownership is growing slowly, cat ownership has grown by nearly 10% in recent years.
So what is making pets, and especially cats, more and more desirable? While internet culture may play a role, doctors and experts across various fields increasingly recommend having pets for their proven benefits to people’s mental and physical health. Yes, they’re funny and relatable, but more importantly, they’re great companions.
“Humans are social creatures” has become axiomatic. Our need to be understood, loved, and important is innately social. We seek connections and have evolved around interdependency.
Dr. Jason N. Linder, Psy.D., thinks that pets are one of the ways we satisfy this social circuitry. Their loyalty and dependence feed into our needs. Pets make us feel special and appreciated. They pick up the slack where human connection fails, and they do so unconditionally. This kind of treatment, even from pets, strongly influences self-esteem.
Linder expands on his ideas around pets, explaining that another reason people love attention from their pets is their purity. Pets have no ulterior motives. Even if they leave an unpleasant surprise on the prized carpet, there is no intent to hurt you.
According to the psychologist, having pets can help people who are hurting improve their social lives. Feeling valued by a pet is therapeutic and can help mend the holes left by previous toxic relationships.
