For centuries we have been enthralled and entranced by felines. They were first worshipped and domesticated in Egypt before they were bred and exported overseas, where they became trustworthy companions and widely admired.

Cats have been a source of inspiration for writers and artists–one has only to look at the Broadway musical “Cats” for evidence of this.

Tolstoy even told the tale of a cat who was critical to his story “Master and Margarita”; Sir Winston Churchill firmly believed that cats were important companions and always had his pal Jock in the room when meals were to commence.

Sir Isaac Newton created the cat flap, now called the door flap, to stop his cats from letting too much light in the laboratory by opening hte door. Invented in the 17th century, the door flap is still used to let both cats and dogs in and out of the house on their terms.

The gifted inventor Nikola Tesla first wondered about electricity as a young child while petting his cat Macak. Tesla was intrigued by the static and sparks that occurred as he stroked his friend and his curiosity ultimately led him to his groundbreaking findings in mechanical and electrical engineering.

People are easily entranced by a cat’s graceful gait, their hypnotic eyes and relaxing purr. You can even find cat fancier clubs just for cat lovers as well as salons and pet clothing lines that cater to your feline’s needs. Consumers not only love their pets, they also love to spend money on their pets and they like to buy specialty items — the frontline for cats is an example.

Cats may be lovely to look at but they are also very therapeutic and offer health benefits to their owners and people who spend time with them. Contact with cats can help lower high blood pressure according to a study published in 2002 by professors W.B. Mendes, J. Blascovich and K. Allen of the State University of New York. The article was titled “Cardiovascular reactivity and the presence of pets friends and spouses: the truth about cats and dogs” contains ample evidence and support that cats can indeed reduce stress and be beneficial to a cat owner’s health.

Cats are low maintenance, house animals, that is one of the reasons for their popularity in North America. According to a research conducted in 2007 by the American Veterinary Medical Association , there are over 82 million cats, kept as pets in the United States. Wikipedia states that cats typically live longer if they live exclusively indoors. They are less exposed to bacteria and diseases, are safe from cat fight injuries and are not exposed to risks caused by motor vehicles. However, keeping a cat indoors or letting it out, is a purely personal choice, that depends on many circumstances. You must love and care for your cat. We are responsible for those we take in. Do not let them down.

”Time spent with cats is never wasted” – Sigmund Freud.

As some people are curious what certain cat breeds are like beyond just reading about them – here is a video to kick that off.

This is a female British Shorthair, silver-spotted. Very beautiful, soft fur and feels very stuffed-animal like. Unfortunately, with that luxury comes a shedding issue, which if you are willing to brush regularly helps control the issue.

British Shorthairs overall are extremely smart, and the silver spotted is known to sometimes be uncannily so. They find ways to communicate with their human owners which some don’t expect. They love to play and interact, which is why they make a great cat if you have kids.

However, if you are not one who likes to engage in ‘kitty play’ for, at least, 20 minutes per day and would prefer a lazy cat who pretty much sits around minding her/her business, then I would strongly suggest not going with this breed. It would be a disservice to both of you. This cat, at least, is not much a lap cat, but loves to be pet and is very affectionate…but on her terms!

Feel free to submit any videos of your cats too!