Cats Aren’t Total A**holes - They Do Think Of You Like A Parent

Cat owners know how hard it can be sometimes to believe that your cat loves you. 

One minute, they’re cuddling up to you and purring, the next, they’re getting ready to pounce and dig their little but lethal paws and claws into you… 

If you’re constantly second guessing your cat’s love for you, never fear - it turns out that cats see us as parents and create bonds with us in similar ways that our children do!

A recent study from Oregon State University, published in Current Biology, revealed that, like dogs, cats form secure bonds with their owners.

The study saw researchers carry out an attachment test on cats that is usually used on dogs and primates, as well as pairing this with attachment-style criteria from human infant literature. 

70 kittens were used in the test, where each was put in a room with their owner for two minutes, before then being left alone for two minutes, and then the pair were reunited. 

Researchers analysed and observed their behaviour, categorising them into attachment styles similar to dogs and human babies:

• Secure
• Ambivalent
• Avoidant
• Disorganised 

The following video explains how the experiment worked:

More than 60% of the kittens in the experiment displayed secure attachments with their owner - they became distressed when their caregiver left the room, then displayed a healthy balance of exploration and attachment when they returned. 

30% displayed insecure attachments - they remained in a stressed state when their owner returned and had displayed excessive eye contact, avoidance, or a mixture of both (anxious behaviour). 

Researchers revealed that the split in attachment styles in the kittens was similar to that in young children. 

These bonds stay firm into adulthood, for kids, kittens, dogs, and primates!

Kristyn Vitale of Oregon State University, the study’s author and researcher, revealed to Science Daily:

“Like dogs, cats display social flexibility in regard to their attachments with humans. The majority of cats are securely attached to their owner and use them as a source of security in a novel environment.”

“Once an attachment style has been established between the cat and its caregiver, it appears to remain relatively stable over time, even after a training and socialization intervention. 

“Cats that are insecure can be likely to run and hide or seem to act aloof. There’s long been a biased way of thinking that all cats behave this way. But the majority of cats use their owner as a source of security. Your cat is depending on you to feel secure when they are stressed out.”

A lot more research has been conducted on social cognition in dogs, so maybe it’s time we gave cats the attention so they’re not so misunderstood!

So, no matter how much of a little d**khead your feline friend seems, they really do love you and see you as their mum or dad!

You can read more about the study HERE. 

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