I love cats. They’re so fluffy and wonderful and indifferent. In all honestly, if I could have one on my lap right now I would die a happy woman. 

Not only are cats a wonderful addition to my life, they are an integral part of the internet as well. I’m watching cat videos as I write this, and while it is a little distracting, I feel infinitely better when I look up and see four little paws and a big ball of fluff being tickled. 

Some studies suggest that 15 percent of all internet activities are cat related. As of 2014, there were 2 million cat videos on Youtube. I think that this is just as it should be. In fact, I wouldn’t be displeased if this increased. 

Cat videos (and in fact, all manner of cute animal and baby videos) are an integral part of the internet experience because they give us a reprieve from the tedium of work. A study suggests that watching cat videos online can lower people’s stress as well as raise happiness. 

Cats have been a source of joy to owners ever since they were domesticated. We call them our babies, our loves, and fawn over them as if we had given birth to them ourselves. When they give us affection we fawn over them, and when they don’t we for it.

Cat videos are a stand in for real feline affection. While we don’t get to hold these cats and kittens on our laps, we get to watch as they are fawned over, and imagine ourselves in the place of those owners. I, for one, find relief in watching little animals meow at the camera. It makes my day infinitely better to bask in the simple pleasure of watching a cat get its’ belly rubbed, or attack a toy. Cats are a wonderful thing, and something we can all enjoy watching, to help us get through the day.