The fact that cats and mental health memes go hand in hand is no coincidence. In a study of 1,800 Dutch cat owners, half said their cat was like family—and who understands us better than the ones who are always there for us?
In fact, many cats would choose human interaction over food or toys. And they can distinguish when we are talking to them rather than another human.
We've adapted to each other so much that cats are more likely to approach human strangers who first give a "kitty kiss" – narrowing your eyes and blinking slowly, and research suggests cats have developed specific meows that tune into our nurturing instincts.
A good way to find out about the health impact of cats is qualitative research: asking people what their cats mean to them, beyond the numbers.
"When colleagues and I surveyed veterans, we found people more attached to their pets actually had poorer mental health scores," wrote veterinarian Dr. Susan Hazel, who is an associate professor at the School of Animal and Veterinary Science at the University of Adelaide, Australia.
"But their survey responses told a different story." One of Hazel's respondents even said, "My cats are the reason I get up in the morning".
Hazel thinks it may be that veterans were more attached to their cats because they had worse mental health – and relied on their cats more for comfort – rather than the other way around.
And you might need to be a certain kind of person to be drawn into the feline world. There's a study that suggests "dog people" and "cat people" really do have different personalities.
Researchers surveyed 600 college students, asking whether they identified themselves as dog lovers or cat lovers, and what qualities they found most attractive in their pets. Participants also answered a series of questions to assess their personality.
More people said they were dog lovers than cat lovers: about 60 percent of participants identified as dog people, compared with 11 percent who said they were cat people. (The rest said they either liked both animals or neither.)
Dog people found companionship to be the most attractive quality in their pet dogs, while cat people valued the affection from their cats.
Dog people also tended to be more lively — meaning they were more energetic and outgoing — and generally followed rules more closely. Cat lovers, on the other hand, were more introverted, open-minded, and sensitive. They also tended to be nonconformists, preferring to be expedient rather than follow rules.
"It makes sense that a dog person is going to be more lively, because they're going to want to be out there, outside, talking to people, bringing their dog," said study researcher Denise Guastello, an associate professor of psychology at Carroll University in Waukesha, Wisconsin.
"Whereas, if you're more introverted, and sensitive, maybe you're more at home reading a book, and your cat doesn't need to go outside for a walk."
It's possible that people may select pets based on their own personality, Guastello said. For example, cats are often seen as independent animals that keep to themselves and are cautious of others.
"If you're like that, you appreciate that in an animal; it's a better match for you," Guastello said. And the memes we see on this list also support her point!