What If All the Cats in the World Suddenly Died? Kitten sleeping
on its back. CREDIT: Kitten image via Shutterstock Perhaps
you're a cat lover. Perhaps you abhor the lazy critters. Either
way, when you see a cat lounging on an armchair, napping all day
but for the occasional stretch or window gaze, "useless" is by
no means the last word that comes to mind. Cats, beloved or
otherwise, don't radiate the message that they're indispensable,
hard-working members of the household, or the world. But, in
fact, they're just playing it cool (as usual). Experts say that
if all the world's cats suddenly died, things would quickly go
to hell in a handbasket. Cats, both pets and strays, may fool us
into thinking that they depend on our food and trash for
survival, but according to Alan Beck, professor of veterinary
medicine and director of the Center for the Human-Animal Bond at
Purdue University, they're expert predators with adaptable
hunting behaviors. "They are a significant predator of small
animals, and can survive a