Cats are a lot more affectionate than some might think.
This is confirmed by a study on the attachment behavior of the animals towards their owners.
Cats are sometimes a bit peculiar, they don't always like to be alone and most domestic cats really seek closeness and physical contact with their favorite people.
A study by
Oregon State University
found that cats bond with their human caregiver in a similar way that small children bond with their parents.
The study, published in the journal
Current Biology
in 2019 , observed young cats and their owners.
Study examines attachment behavior between cats and owners
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Many velvet paws are affectionate and seek closeness to their favorite people.
(icon picture)
© Zoonar.com/Oleksandr Latkun/Imago
79 cats aged three to eight months and their owners took part in the study, as
mdr knowledge
already reported on the study in 2019.
The owners were instructed to take their cat to a room monitored by cameras.
They were initially with the animal for two minutes, but then went out alone.
The cat was then alone in the room for two minutes before the owner returned.
Understanding Cat Language: 10 Signs Your Cat Loves You
1st sign: If cats feel at home in the vicinity of their human, they usually demand extensive cuddles.
(Iconic image) © Westend61/Imago
2nd sign: If a cat purrs while cuddling, this is a clear "token of love".
(symbol photo) © Westend61/Imago
3rd Sign: When your cat rubs its legs, it releases certain scents, marking you as a beloved member of the family.
(Iconic image) © Ardea/Imago
4th sign: Velvet paws express their love with a “cat kiss”.
They often do this when you approach their face with your forehead.
(Iconic image) © Westend61/Imago
5th sign: Does your cat lie down on its back when you scratch it?
Then she feels safe and secure.5.
Sign: Does your cat lie on its back when it crawls?
Then she feels safe and secure.
(Icon image) © Cavan Images/Imago
6th sign: If cats alternately press their front paws on the ground, this is a clear signal of well-being.
Kicking milk is a behavior from the nursery.
(icon picture)6.
Sign: If cats alternately press their front paws on the ground, this is a clear signal of well-being.
Kicking milk is a behavior from the nursery.
(Iconic image) © Shotshop/Imago
Sign 7: Cats show deep affection when they lick your hand or arm when you pet them.
Mutual grooming is an important part of social behavior among velvet paws.
(icon picture)7.
Sign: Cats show deep affection when they lick your hand or arm when you pet them.
Mutual grooming is an important part of social behavior among velvet paws.
(Iconic image) © Imaginechina-Tuchong/Imago
Sign 8: If your cat gently nibbles your hand when petting, it's not to hurt you.
Because the "love bite" is a tender gesture.8.
Sign: If your cat gently nibbles your hand when petting, it's not to hurt you.
Because the "love bite" is a tender gesture.
(Iconic image) © Westend61/Imago
9th sign: Does your cat love to play with you?
Congratulations!
Then you are a beloved playmate.9.
Sign: Your cat loves to play with you?
Congratulations!
Then you are a beloved playmate.
(Iconic image) © Westend61/Imago
Sign 10: When your cat falls asleep on your lap, it shows complete trust in you.
More love is not possible.10.
Sign: If your cat falls asleep on your lap, it shows complete trust in you.
More love is not possible.
(Iconic image) © Westend61/Imago
Why our cats care - study provides the proof
How did the animals behave?
After the observations, the researchers were able to assign 70 of 79 animals to a specific attachment type, as reported in the report on
MDR.de
further means.
There is talk of a “surprising result”.
After all, 64.3 percent of these 70 cats showed signs of a secure and stable bond.
“These cats would meow a lot in the absence of their owners and appear visibly stressed.
However, this stress immediately subsided when their caregivers returned – the house tigers sought to be close to 'their' human, stopped meowing and continued to explore the room,” according to the report by the knowledge magazine.
How did the other cats behave?
After the owner's return, some of them remained anxious and behaved in a particularly "clinging" manner;
others would have paid little attention to their keepers.
The scientists repeated the experiment with 38 adult cats and came to a similar conclusion as with the young animals – which, according to the researchers, proves that the attachment behavior of cats remains stable beyond their adolescence.
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Studies: Cats and children bond to their caregivers in a similar way
Another aspect is important, according to a report by the
German Press Agency (dpa)
on the study that became known in 2019.
Accordingly, the results clearly show similarities to studies carried out on children as far as their attachment behavior to their parents is concerned.
65 percent of the children showed a close bond with their mothers.
Kristyn Vitale of Oregon State University
agrees that domestic cats show this behavior in a very similar way
.
Their social flexibility may have paved the way for cats into human households.
According to dpa
, Vitale
also emphasized that, according to their results, the majority of cats are securely bound and their owner is a source of comfort and security for them.
Thus, the prejudice that all cats are shy and aloof may have evolved because the behavior of insecurely attached cats became generalized.
List of rubrics: © Zoonar.com/Oleksandr Latkun/Imago
