Cats could use a little positive advertising

Cats have a branding problem: They're not man's best friend, they're perceived as cool and standoffish, and certain Web sites portray them as nosey, jive-talking freaks. All of which may play a role in an unpleasant statistic: that 70 percent of cats in shelters are euthanized, compared with 56 percent of dogs. To give them a leg up in the image department, pet-adoption Web site Petfinder.com and Cat Fancy magazine are holding a “Cats rule!” ad contest.