“According to Kristyn Vitale, study author and researcher at Oregon State University’s Human-Animal Interaction Lab, “cats, like dogs, demonstrate social flexibility in their bonds with humans.” “The majority of cats are strongly bonded to their owners and rely on them for security in unfamiliar situations.”
Even kittens that went through a 6-week socialization training program did not change their attachment to their owners.
“Even after a training and socialization intervention, once an attachment pattern has been established between the cat and its caregiver, it appears to be reasonably constant over time,” Vitale added. “Insecure cats are more prone to flee and hide or appear distant. There has long been a skewed perception that all cats act the same way. However, the majority of cats rely on their owners for protection. When your cat is stressed, they rely on you to make them feel safe.”
Do cats form strong ties with people?
Welcome to another installment of “Debunking Pet Myths,” a monthly series debunking common dog and cat myths, misconceptions, and old wives’ tales.
When compared to dogs, cats have an undeserved reputation for being aloof, independent, and emotionally distant creatures. While domestic cats demonstrate affection in different ways than dogs, a recent study found that cats and people can form significant bonds.
The study’s findings are unlikely to surprise anyone who lives with a feline companion. Despite the need for more research, the findings show that some people, even academics and animal behaviorists, may have underestimated cats’ ability to respond to people and the strength of the relationships they create.
“Attachment to humans may represent an adaptation of the offspring-caretaker link in both dogs and cats,” lead author and researcher Kristyn Vitale, PhD, said in a news release from Oregon State University. “Attachment is an important biological behavior. Our findings show that when cats are in a dependent relationship with a human, their attachment behavior is adaptable, and the majority of cats seek comfort from people.”
For several years, Vitale, a researcher in OSU’s College of Agricultural Sciences’ Human-Animal Interaction Lab, has been studying feline social cognition, behaviors, and the cat-human bond. Vitale and her colleagues discovered in a 2017 study that the majority of both pet and shelter cats preferred socializing with people over consuming food or playing with a toy, however there was clear individual heterogeneity in cat preferences. Cats modify their behavior according on how much attention they receive, according to Vitale’s research. Pet cats can create both secure and insecure ties with their human caregivers, according to a new study.
How cat attachment was studied
The secure base test, a forerunner to the Ainsworth unusual scenario test used to examine human attachment types, was used by Vitale and her team to analyze the attachment relationships of cats to people. The secure base test is much shorter than typical odd scenario tests, concentrates on the three steps necessary to measure secure foundation effect and attachment style, and has previously been used to analyze dog-human attachment connections.
A cat was placed in an unknown room with its owner for two minutes during the first phase. The proprietor took a seat in the center of a 6.5-foot-diameter circle drawn on the floor. If the cat entered the circle, the owner might interact with it by talking to it or touching it. When the cat was outside the circle, however, the owner was indifferent to the animal (quiet, passive, no talking or movement).
The owner was required to leave the room for the second step of the secure base test, leaving the cat alone for two minutes.
The owner returned to the room in the third phase, sat in the center of the circle, and only interacted with the cat when it entered the circle. The cat’s reaction to the owner’s return was analyzed to identify the attachment style of the animal.
Expert attachment coders used criteria drawn from studies of human children and dogs to classify cats into attachment styles. Secure attachment and insecure attachment were the two types of attachment studied, with ambivalent, avoidant, and disordered subcategories. Securely bonded cats showed less tension and curiously roamed the area while checking in with their owners for attention on a regular basis. After their owner returned to the room, cats with insecure attachments remained agitated and demonstrated behaviors such as clinging to their owner (ambivalent attachment), avoiding their owner (avoidant attachment), or cycling between clingy and avoidance behaviors (avoidant attachment) (disorganized attachment).
In the Human-Animal Interaction Lab at Oregon State University, a cat displays safe attachment behavior with researcher Krystin Vitale. Oregon State University provided this image.
The findings: Cats are just as attached as dogs
The study included 79 kittens (3 to 8 months old), 38 adult cats (1 year old or older), and their owners. Seventy kittens were assigned to an attachment style, with nine kittens deemed unclassifiable being eliminated from the study. 64.3 percent of kittens with attachment styles were classified as firmly connected, while 35.7 percent were classified as insecurely attached. The vast majority of insecure kittens (84%) were thought to have ambivalent attachment.
Adult cats have different attachment types, with 65.8% being firmly bonded and 34.2 percent being insecurely linked to their owners.
These findings are similar to those obtained in studies of canines (58 percent secure, 42 percent insecure) and human newborns (58 percent secure, 42 percent insecure) (65 percent secure, 35 percent insecure).
To put it another way, most cats, like dogs, see their owners as a source of comfort and security. Don’t be fooled by your cat’s “independent” behavior; he or she is significantly more attached to you than you believe.
How can you tell if you and your cat are in love?
Repeated and regular displays of those cat-approved types of affection: slow blinks, licking, kneading, grooming, and head-butting are the most telling signs that your cat has bonded with you. Soft, welcome purrs are always a good sign, and if your cat wants to show you her butt, you’re in.
Do cats have a preference towards one person?
It’s easy to notice how a cat prefers one person over the others when there are multiple people in the house. Because each cat is unique, the way it communicates and what it wants and needs will differ. Perhaps it’s because you’re the most skilled at using the cat toy.
Cats need scent and sound to navigate their surroundings, so it’s only logical that they use them to identify people and other animals. Even if it doesn’t always feel like it at home when your cat ignores you, cats have been discovered to know and respond to their owners’ voices.
Do cats have feelings for their humans?
For some reason, people believe that dogs are warm and affectionate, whereas cats are chilly – but many cat owners know this isn’t the case.
Cats are affectionate creatures who enjoy cuddling with their owners, and research has shown that cats, like dogs, create emotional relationships with their owners.
According to a new study, cats have the same primary attachment types as dogs and kids.
The majority of cats and kittens displayed a “secure attachment” to humans and were just as interested in their owners as they were in their surroundings.
Do cats form emotional bonds with their owners?
Yes! Cats adore their humans, even if they have a peculiar way of expressing it. In fact, they build close bonds with their owners and express emotions in a human-like manner. Cats, like people, can express their affection by showing empathy and concern for others.
If a cat sleeps close to you, does it trust you?
Finally, your cat may prefer to sleep with you because he or she likes and trusts you. Your cats are aware that you look after them and that you make a fantastic sleeping partner! Cats, contrary to popular belief, enjoy company (on their terms). Cats are frequently depicted as self-sufficient creatures who want to be alone. However, your cat may become lonely. Interacting with the person they adore enriches their lives (and yours). If your cat sleeps with you, it means they appreciate being with you and want to spend time with you.
Do male cats have a preference for female owners?
You won’t notice much of a difference between the genders if you have a standard house cat. The breed of your cat and whether or not it has been spayed are two factors that may influence your cat’s affection for you. Your cat’s devotion to you, on the other hand, is mostly influenced by you.
Male cats are said to be more loving than female cats in certain research, while female cats are said to be more cuddly in others. It all comes down to the cat’s personality and the environment in which he or she lives.
Cats are unique creatures with individual personalities. It’s improbable that you’ll have two cats with the same personality.
There are numerous aspects to consider when it comes to your cat’s behavior, but gender is usually near the bottom of the list.
Is it true that cats have a favourite person?
- Even if they were well-socialized as kittens, cats tend to favor one person over others.
- Cats are natural communicators who prefer to be with individuals with whom they can converse well.
- Look for signs of communication from your cat, such as him approaching you for food or petting.
- By mingling with your cat early on and respecting his or her personal space, you might become his or her favorite person.
Do cats have feelings of jealousy?
- When you spend more attention to an object, person, or another animal, cats may express jealousy. This is particularly true if you used to spend this time with your cat. It could be the birth of a new family member, such as a child or a pet. Triggers might be as simple as your cell phone, a video game, or a pastime.
- Poor socialization as a kitten might cause a cat to become overly reliant on you and even demonstrate jealousy.
- A abrupt shift in your daily routine, including your cat’s feeding schedule, might lead to jealousy and other behavioral difficulties.
- If a cat feels threatened by another pet, a lack of personal space, bedding, or other items can also increase jealous behavior.