A study released today by the University of Sussex has shown that the households of cat owners are on average 20 percent less carbon efficient than normal.
Professor Carl Lupus, in a press conference today, said: “Originally we posited that most of the heat loss was coming from the cat flap as draft, but it soon became clear that this could not account for the massive differences we were seeing between cat and non-cat households.”
Over two years the scientists had monitored the levels of energy consumption in around 20,000 households up and down the UK. This was cross referenced with the cat ownership data held by supermarkets.
“There was a pattern, undeniable, yet still no reason. That was until the break through our team made last month when we monitored cat owner’s houses both inside and out with thermal imaging.”
Their amazing discovery showed that cats were acting as heat sinks, instinctively heading to the warmest areas of a house and storing as much thermal energy as they could gather. They would then leave the house, dissipating this energy into the outside world.
“We are talking about the same amount of energy you would lose by leaving your fridge and freezer on and open all night, or a gas stove being left to run for half of a day,” added the professor.
The study, although alarming for cat owners, did give some pointers on how to make your cat ownership more environmentally sustainable:
Do not let your cat out regularly.
A shaved cat stores less heat and therefore dissipates less to the outside environment.
Buy a dog. The dog’s constant tail wagging and jumping around will heat the air up enough to offset for cat loss.
Keep the cat suspended above the floor at all times so it is unable to lie on pipes or under radiators.
A thermal cat flap sensor will only allow the cat to exit the house when it has sufficiently cooled; used on the outside of the flap it will ensure that the cat has to reach a preset temperature before it is allowed to return.
Even so, the message from Professor Carl Lupus is clear; “If you care at all about the environment get a dog instead of a cat." |
