World Cat Day Celebrates Most Popular Pet On The Planet
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Cat lovers worldwide celebrated World Cat Day Monday, lavishing attention on the most popular pet on the planet.
It's estimated there are half a billion cats worldwide.
In the U.S., cats outnumber dogs by 20 million.
World Cat Day was started by the International Fund for Animal Welfare in 2002.
On its website, the organization used the event to help clear up misinformation about cats and pregnant women.
According to IFAW, cat owners sometimes ban their pets from the house during pregnancy because of concerns about toxoplasmosis.
The infection is caused by a parasite sometimes found in cat feces, but IFAW claims toxoplasmosis is rarely caused by contact with cats.
Cat facts:
- Some research shows owning a cat is good for mental health.
- Cats sleep 70 percent of their lives.
- Cats can jump six times their body length.
