Cats and Humans
Cats are common pets in Europe and North America, and their worldwide population exceeds 500 million. Although cat ownership has commonly been associated with women, a 2007 Gallup poll reported that men and women were equally likely to own a cat.
According to the Humane Society of the United States, as well as being kept as pets, cats are also used in the international fur trade, for making coats, gloves, hats, shoes, blankets and stuffed toys. About 24 cats are needed to make a cat fur coat. This use has now been outlawed in several countries, including the United States, Australia and the European Union. However, some cat furs are still made into blankets in Switzerland as folk remedies that are believed to help rheumatism.
People less often eat cat meat than the flesh of other common domestic animals.
Further information: Cat meatRead more about this topic: Cat
Famous quotes containing the words cats and, cats and/or humans:
“Now I know that much of parenthood is watching and waiting for the chick to fall into harm’s way, watching and waiting for the cats and the cold nights. The joyous enterprise has an undercurrent of terror.”
—Anna Quindlen (b. 1952)
“At noon, you walk across a river. It is dry, with not this much water: it is just stones and pebbles. But it rains cats and dogs in the mountains, and towards afternoon, the water descends wildly and she ravages all in its path, the madwoman. That is how death comes. Without our expecting it, and we cannot do a thing against it, brothers.”
—Jacques Roumain (1907–1945)
“To not be afraid in our world is the message that doesn’t derive from reason, but maybe from this mysterious capacity given to humans which we call—not without a little embarrassment—faith.”
—Friedrich Dürrenmatt (1921–1990)