Need an energy boost or just want to lift the mood? Researchers at Indiana University recommend watching a cat video to feel better.
Watching videos featuring feline friends doing cute or funny things, a new study from the university found, boosts positive feelings that translate into health benefits like feeling energized.
The study quizzed more than 7,000 people about their cat video-watching habits and how it impacted their mood afterward, and most replied that the joy they got from watching cat videos during school or work time outweighed any guilt connected to procrastination.
Given than cat videos are YouTube's most populous section (there were more than 2 million cat videos on the site in 2014, with more than 26 billion views), Internet users in need of an emotional lift have a lot to choose from.
The demand for cat videos is so high that there is now an International Cat Video Festival, which outsold a Depeche Mode concert for tickets at the Minnesota State Fair last year.
Why not start now? Here are some popular cat videos to make the day just a little bit brighter:
1. Henri Le Chat Noir
Told in the tradition of French Noir filmmaking, Henri is a tuxedo cat dealing with the crushing malaise of everyday existence.
2. Sail by AWOLNATION cat jump fail
Perfectly set to AWOLNATION's dark hit "Sail," this short video documents a Siamese's failed jump from a patio ledge.
3. Maru
A cat celebrity in Japan, Scottish Fold cat Maru has an infatuation with boxes and will go to great lengths to get into them.
Watching videos featuring feline friends doing cute or funny things, a new study from the university found, boosts positive feelings that translate into health benefits like feeling energized.
The study quizzed more than 7,000 people about their cat video-watching habits and how it impacted their mood afterward, and most replied that the joy they got from watching cat videos during school or work time outweighed any guilt connected to procrastination.
Given than cat videos are YouTube's most populous section (there were more than 2 million cat videos on the site in 2014, with more than 26 billion views), Internet users in need of an emotional lift have a lot to choose from.
The demand for cat videos is so high that there is now an International Cat Video Festival, which outsold a Depeche Mode concert for tickets at the Minnesota State Fair last year.
Why not start now? Here are some popular cat videos to make the day just a little bit brighter:
1. Henri Le Chat Noir
Told in the tradition of French Noir filmmaking, Henri is a tuxedo cat dealing with the crushing malaise of everyday existence.
2. Sail by AWOLNATION cat jump fail
Perfectly set to AWOLNATION's dark hit "Sail," this short video documents a Siamese's failed jump from a patio ledge.
3. Maru
A cat celebrity in Japan, Scottish Fold cat Maru has an infatuation with boxes and will go to great lengths to get into them.
