Human interaction with cats relates to the hundreds of millions of cats that are kept as pets around the world. The inter-relationship involves companionship, communication and caregiving. Dating back thousands of years, cats were originally domesticated for their ability to control pests and later became valued companions. Cats communicate through vocalizations, body language and behaviors, forming strong bonds with their human owners. Owners provide the food, shelter, and medical care, while play and enrichment activities stimulate their physical and mental well-being.
Despite their independent nature, cats enjoy human company and require understanding of their unique behaviours. Positive reinforcement training can shape desired behaviours, fostering a harmonious relationship between humans and their feline companions, built on mutual respect and affection.
Cats are common pets in all continents of the world permanently inhabited by humans, and their global population is difficult to ascertain, with estimates ranging from anywhere between million to million. A Gallup poll reported that men and women in the United States of America were equally likely to own a cat. As of [update] in the United States, human owners of cats typically keep cats indoors at all times. The compulsive hoarding of cats, a symptom of obsessive compulsive disorder OCD , has long been associated with " cat ladies " although there is no evidence that older women are more likely than other people to hoard cats.
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. About 24 cats are needed to make a cat fur coat. Cats, as with the traditional farm cat and ship's cat , are also used for pest control , particularly in the case of rat or mouse infestation. The current list of cat breeds is quite large, with the US Cat Fanciers' Association recognizing 41 breeds, of which 16 are "natural breeds" that probably emerged before humans began breeding pedigree cats, while the others were developed over the latter half of the 20th century.
Because of their small size, domesticated house cats pose little physical danger to adult humans. Allergic reactions to cats are relatively common, happening in as many as every 3 in 10 Americans.
