The simple answer is yes. Duh. Not only do pets (such as cats) provide social and emotional benefits, but the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology claims that exposing your children to cats and dogs early in life can protect them from developing certain allergies and asthma.

Now that you know that cat are a health benefit, you cat can start charging you for health care services. That means you’ll be further in debt to your cat and need to spend even more time making sure your cat is always happy, even if that means sacrificing your own happiness as a result.

To read more about how cats can be beneficial for kids, click here.