For years, it has been reported that dogs are more popular pets than cats. But, cat lovers, the tide seems to be changing, at least in Europe! According to a 2024 analysis by Kattly, cats dominate over dogs in countries like Romania, Italy, Slovenia, and Finland. It's estimated that there are 129 million cats in all of Europe and only 106 million dogs.
How could kitties not be the most popular pets when they're the subject of all the classic Internet memes? To own a cat is to be entertained every single day, and the people behind the "Cats Being Cats" page know that. Here's a selection of their funniest, cutest, and most unhinged posts, proving to us once again that cat memes will never go out of style.
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If you had to guess, who do you think is more likely to own cats: men or women? The 'crazy cat lady' stereotype would probably lead you to veer toward the latter. However, statistics paint a different picture. According to the 2024 Mars Incorporated global pet parent study, 52% of men are cat owners compared to 48% of women.
While the gap isn't that huge, it can still be interpreted as a shift in how we view cat owners. Historically, people associate cat owners with females and femininity. This has even translated into the dating world. A 2020 study, for example, found that women were more likely to swipe left on profiles where a man was holding a cat. In another study, women saw male dog owners as better prospects than cat owners.
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Proof that none of them cheated
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They left you behind, and I picked you up like something precious
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Interestingly, men don't seem to care that much about the 'crazy cat lady' phenomenon. That same study found that men don't express any particular preference or strong opinions about women who own pets, whether dogs or cats.
Women, on the other hand, would make a lot of assumptions about men based on what pet they were holding in their photos. "Men holding cats were viewed as less masculine; more neurotic, agreeable, and open; and less dateable," according to the study. "These results varied slightly depending whether the women self-identified as a 'dog person' or a 'cat person.'"
Cat owners aren't all that old, either. A 2021 Pet Food Manufacturers' Association (PFMA) study showed that cat owners between the ages of 16 and 34 are the fastest-growing demographic. People between 35 and 44 were just one percent behind them.
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Shrek
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The perfect fit
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I think he likes dragon fruit
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Pet ownership trends are also quite interesting in the generational department. If cats were just some animals roaming around the yard or house for our parents and grandparents, we are putting much more significance on our felines. The Mars global pet parent study found that 45% of Gen Z and 40% of Millennials think of their pets as the most important things in their lives.
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In which countries are cats the most popular pets? It turns out that Americans are the biggest cat lovers, with around 95.6 million house cats being kept as pets in the U.S. China comes in second with over 53 million pet cats. Yet, neither of the two have the biggest percentage of households with at least one cat. That honor goes to Russia, where over half of the households own a cat.
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The real boss
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She needs pets :(
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One American owner of around 200 feral cats might surprise you. That's Disneyland, and it uses these cats to control the rodent population in the park. As employees have told the LA Times, no one really knows when the cats started showing up in the shrubs and trees of the park, but at night, most of them go on the prowl to rid the resort of unwanted pests.
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Toe beans variations
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The splits
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The cats are looked after by the employees at the Circle D ranch, who already take care of the park's horses and goats. To control the cat population, the park's animal wranglers have the adult cats spayed and neutered. And if any babies pop up, they always find them a home outside the park. For those interested, an Instagram page shares the rare sightings of Disneyland cats.
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How can someone hate this small creature
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Japan is a country of cat lovers, too. In fact, they even have 'cat islands' where the cat population is higher than the human population. There are 11 in total, and one of them is Aoshima. Cats were introduced to the island by fishermen who wanted to get rid of rodents gnawing through their nets. But today, both the human and cat populations are significantly lower, and it seems that after several years, there will be no humans or cats on the island.
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"Wait, you forgot your kiss"
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After the Second World War, there were around 900 people in Aoshima. Yet, around 2015, the population had decreased to 80. In 2017, there were only 17 residents. Today, there are only four. To avert a crisis, the authorities took action to spay and neuter the cats. Kiichi Takino, a member of the Aoshima Cat Protection Society, told The Guardian that Aoshima is like a feline nursing home today.
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"We're trying to prevent the worst-case scenario," Takino explained. "If the cat population had been allowed to grow while the number of people continued to decline, the situation on the island would have eventually become intolerable."
"If it becomes deserted in the near future, and there are still cats left, volunteer groups and individuals will take in as many cats as possible," Takino spoke about the future.
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A cat and a lowercase cat
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Cats themselves don't really care who their owner is. As long as they get their yummies, snuggles, and a comfy place to sleep, they're set. Such was Garfield's motto: "Love me, feed me, never leave me."
How many cat owners do we have among Pandas? Tell us about your felines in the comments! And if you'd like to see more funny cat posts, check out our previous posts here and here!
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Art & the artist
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Kiwi
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