Just come across the evidence that pets are good for your mental health on our friends the Mental Health Foundation's site here.
I would argue that from a psychological purist's point of view cats are better than dogs in as much as they provide companionship but resist creating a sense of dependency - even though they are happy to take your food of course. But if it helps to have some animate being to look after then a dog is the thing obviously and it will be endlessly grateful and probably won't leave you alone.
But my cats aren't an unqualified success in creating ease and "well-being" because they get into scrapes with other cats, in particular a well-bred but thuggish blue job a few doors down, and there is that insoluble problem of digging holes - and the rest - in neighbours' immaculate flower beds.
However, there is no doubt that they keep life interesting and my two have developed markedly different personalities. Rhys (ginger blotches) is the adventurous trouble-maker while Huw (black blotches) is lazy and knowing - and getting large to the point where he is now known as "Huge" or sometimes even "Eric".
