A grand total of 33 percent of U.S. households have cats, meaning there are 16 million more pet cats than pet dogs. One reason might be that, according to research, cats can improve your health and teach you and your children to be kinder, gentler souls.
Being able to care for any pet improves morale and encourages people to take care of ourselves. And a cat’s purr specifically can lower blood pressure and calm a stressed-out brain.
What’s more, according to USA Today:
“... [T]hey insist on compassion ... Children have to learn to be gentle to cats or the cat will go away.”