In our age of smartphones and social media, it’s hard to avoid photos of people’s pets. Our Instagram feeds are always filled with candid pics of cats and dogs shared by our friends. It’s so prevalent that the iPhone had to make a portrait mode just for pets.
But who can blame them? Our pets are a big part our lives, and they make the perfect photo subjects: they’re adorable and often doing funny things. Who couldn’t help snapping a pic?
That said, if you’ve ever felt like you’re overdoing it with the cat portraits, now you can know for sure: a study has figured out the average amount of pics the average cat owner snaps per day.
That number is 7, according to research conducted by OnePoll in partnership with Fresh Step litter, in honor of National Cat Day on October 29.
They found three of those are just of the cat, while another four are photos of them with their cat.
If that number seems high, it’s in step with the poll’s other findings… which mostly prove that people really, really love their cats.
According to SWNS the poll also found that American cat owners spent an average of 20 hours a week with their cats. That’s both at home and on the road, too: 65% of respondents said they have traveled with their cat, and 65% say they would “take a cat-themed vacation,” too.
Of course, that’s because the cats are like family: 84% said they treat their cats “as if they were a part of their human family.”
But maybe the most inspiring statistic showed that a majority of cat owners—51%—took in their beloved cats as rescues. Of those people, most got them from animal shelters.
This was good news for the poll’s sponsor Fresh Step, who donate millions of dollars (and plenty of cat litter) to shelters.
“Millions of cats enter shelters each year yet less than half get adopted,” Lauren May, associate director of Clorox Pet Products, told SWNS.
“We understand how rewarding it is to have cats in our lives, which is why Fresh Step is on a mission to help every shelter cat find a forever home.”
Cats have a reputation as being cold and distant, but this study serves as a reminder of the genuine connection people make with their cats.
So go ahead and take those cat selfies—you’re in good company!
Share this story with the cat lovers in your life!
