Cats now outnumber dogs as the most popular animal companion in the United States.
It is estimated that there are 59 million cats sharing approximately 29 million American homes. Dog popularity has waned for several reasons. People are working more and cats do not need to be taken for walks. Surveys have shown that more cats live in apartments than houses. These felines had been so highly prized in the days of Aristotle, that the killing of a cat was a capital offense, and if a family's cat died, all members of the house were obliged to shave off their eyebrows.