Did you know that as of 2014 there has been more than 2 million cat videos posted on YouTube with nearly 26 billion total views?
In this day and age when a cat has over 2 million Facebook fans , could there be something our feline friends have to offer other than just a laugh?
Well it seems that if you’re not having the best of days, watching Grumpy Cat’s latest video may be just the thing you need to turn your day around.
A study published in Computers in Human Behavior suggests that people that watch cat videos are more likely to feel happier, more energised and less stressed …..although they are also likely to feel guilty about watching said cat video when they’re supposed to be working!
Lil Bub
Researcher Jessica Gall Myrick from the University of Indiana surveyed almost 7,000 people as part of her research into why people consume internet cat-related content and its potential effects on their moods.
"Some people may think watching online cat videos isn't a serious enough topic for academic research, but the fact is that it's one of the most popular uses of the Internet today," Myrick said. "If we want to better understand the effects the Internet may have on us as individuals and on society, then researchers can't ignore Internet cats anymore."
"We all have watched a cat video online, but there is really little empirical work done on why so many of us do this, or what effects it might have on us," added Myrick, who owns a pug but no cats. "As a media researcher and online cat video viewer, I felt compelled to gather some data about this pop culture phenomenon."
Myrick was also interested to find out whether online cat-related content could be utilised as “pets as therapy” and concluded that future studies could explore cat videos as a low-cost option to help improve emotional wellbeing.
Who’s your favourite internet cat? Tell us in the comments section below!