Don’t doubt it! Scientists have confirmed for you that your cat really loves you!
Many people who join the ranks of "cat slaves" are attracted by the noble and aloof temperament of cats. Different from the coquettish temperament of dogs, kittens are relatively less clingy, and some even often look arrogant and do not touch anything inappropriate, making "cat slaves" unable to determine the "cat owner"'s feelings for them.
But scientists have discovered through a series of experimental observations that kittens and cats are actually dependent on their human partners, although most of the time they do not show it.
A research report published by researchers in Current Biology shows that the attachment relationship established between kittens and humans is actually similar to the relationship between dogs and even babies and us.
Kristyn Vitale, the lead author of the study and a postdoctoral researcher at Oregon State University, said: "After we observed and summarized 'attachment styles' in previous studies, we wondered whether the relationship between cats and their owners could also be classified by these types."
To verify, Vitale's team replicated a method used in the 1870s to assess parent-child relationships called strange situations. situation), 108 cats and their owners were recruited at the same time to test the relationship between them. Among the 108 cats recruited, 70 were kittens and 38 were adults.
The total duration of the test was six minutes. The researchers first let the cats and their owners stay in the same room for two minutes. Afterwards, the owner will leave for two minutes before returning and stay together for another two minutes. Researchers will determine the pet's attachment type to its owner based on the kitten's reaction after the owner returns.
Secure attachment and insecure attachment are two types of attachment styles. In a secure attachment relationship, the attachment figure shows trust in his or her caregiver, and is more comfortable and secure in exploring the surrounding environment when the caregiver is nearby.
Vitale said that if cats feel safe, they will greet their owners when they return, and then continue what they were doing before. Cats in an insecure attachment relationship will show more signs of anxiety and fear, such as twitching their tails, licking their lips, or avoiding their owners when they return.
Researchers found that about 64% of the kittens tested showed a secure dependence on their owners. And this number is similar to that found in tests on dogs and babies.
How did the cat get its reputation for being aloof?
Jackson Galaxy, host of the TV show "My Cat From Hell" and an expert on cat behavior and health, said this may be because we sometimes don't pay enough respect to animal emotions. Additionally, people often compare cats to dogs. When people look at cats according to the standards of dogs, they will be disappointed, because cats will not greet their owners at the door with their tails wagging.
Vitale said that she and her team plan to further delve into the relationship between cats and humans and conduct tests to see if there are any interventions that can help cats in shelters form bonds with people faster so that they can feel safe and be adopted more quickly.