On the one hand, you’ve got a furry feline companion, soft and purring sometimes, playful and worthy of hours on end of cell phone footage in case Mr. Whiskerpants does something that could go viral. On the other, you’ve got individual stocks. Of course more American families own cats than stocks. Of course.

Maybe it has something to do with how sweet little paws can just rest against your cheek, but we as a country aren’t as in to having individual stocks for companies like Apple and Microsoft, reports CNNMoney.

Statistics coming from the Federal Reserve says that 13.8% of families in the United States have any individual stocks as of 2013, an almost 18% dip from 2007.

Compare that to the 30% of American households that own at least one cat, says the American Veterinary Medical Association.

“After experiencing severe losses in 2007 and 2008, investors with smaller portfolios have become more cautious,” an executive with E*Trade Financial told CNNMoney.

Both stocks and cats can be unpredictable, but at least the cat might deign to curl up on your lap once in a while. We all take risks — is Mr. Whiskers going to claw my face off if I don’t feed him as soon as my eyes open in the morning? — it’s just that pets are a lot cuter than facing potential stock market disappointments. The solution? Stock in cats, clearly.

More US families own cats than stocks [CNNMoney]

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