Christmas has come and gone; New Year’s is around the corner, and CertaPet is back to deliver its last newsletter for 2022. This week we bring you exciting news revolving around a new cat study and the reactions it evoked in the hosts of Outnumbered on Fox news. So, let’s jump into the tale without further ado.
Hosts of the show ‘Outnumbered’ on Fox News Launch An Offensive Against Newly Published Cat Study
Outnumbered on Fox News is a TV program that highlights issues of the day. When the show aired on November 2nd, 2022, the program’s co-host, Emily Compagno, brought up a new cat study published in the Anthrozoös Journal.
The findings of this study reveal that college students on the higher end of the emotionality scale could benefit from on-campus interactions with cats. Currently, more than 80% of university-based animal-assisted interventions involve canines.
Compagno then proceeded to ‘disagree’ with the study’s findings, claiming college students had it “so rough these days”. Her comments were dubbed snarky by many netizens (avid online citizens). She went on to say, “…interventions with cats on campuses may help stressed-out students. I guess the taxpayers picking up their student loan tab wasn’t enough.”
After that, a guest panelist, Ms. Julie Banderas, provided her own take on the cat study by saying people who need Emotional Support Animals are better off dropping out of college altogether.
Another host on the show, Kayleigh McEnany, communicated that the concept of petting cats to relieve stress is a “distraction for kids who don’t want to study.”
Compagno is also on record saying things like, “don’t think these kids need cats … I think they need a slap in the face.” Suffice it to say when the story was published by The Huff Post, it went viral in no time.
Members of the Emotional Support and Service Animals community can’t help but be offended by the views of Outnumbered hosts.
While everyone has a right to their own opinion, most netizens felt that passing comments on people with Service or Emotional Support Dogs seemed in bad taste, especially when there was no one to speak out for the other side.
Source: HuffPost
CertaPet’s Thoughts on This Week’s News
Not all folks are comfortable with the idea of ESAs. Service Animals don’t get as much censure, in comparison, mainly because Service Animals have formal training. On the flip side, the concept of ESAs is more open-ended and can induce confusion because of it.
While spotlighting such issues is an integral part of news and media, it’s equally important to use the media’s reach to present both sides of an argument. Unfortunately, the hosts of Outnumbered didn’t offer any hard facts of their own to negate the study’s findings. Their diatribe, therefore, ended up offending a lot of people.
If you’re living with a mental illness, getting an Emotional Support Animal could really help your recovery. These loving animals could ease your symptoms and help you live a happier, fuller life. If you’re ready to start the process, take our 5-minute pre-screening test for free. We’ll connect you with a licensed mental health professional, who will have a consultation with you. Then, if you qualify, you’ll get your ESA letter in no time.