CATS CHEER CHILDREN AND ELDERLY PEOPLE - Emma Osborne, UK

A study of 500 cat owners aged over 55 years old conducted by the Cats Protection revealed:

82% found that their cat helped them overcome feelings of stress
62% said cat ownership helped overcome feelings of loneliness
75% sometimes preferred to share their feelings with their cat rather than a partner or friend.

The same survey also looked at 100 younger cat owners aged 13 years and under: 80% said their cat helped them get on better with family and friends 81% said they would rather chat to their cat about their feelings, than to their mum, dad or a friend 87% of children regard their cat as a 'close friend'.

Another study surveyed 100 people aged 20 - 40 year olds and confirmed tolerance towards cats may exceed tolerance toward human relationships:

Nearly half of respondents enjoyed a better night's sleep with their cat on the bed than they did with their partner in the bed!
60% said they could put up with their cat's bad breath but not their partner's
55% would tolerate their cat taking most of the bed covers at night but not their partner doing that.

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