Cats And Their Owners Appear To Bond In The Same Way That Children Do With Their Parents

Scientists from Oregon State University conducted a study that demonstrated that cats, like dogs, can establish strong relationships with their owners. This means that cats, however haughty or distant they may appear, genuinely care about us and regard us as their carers. Scroll down to read Bored Panda’s chat with Kristyn Vitale, the study’s author!

Our pet felines may develop solid relationships with their owners, just like doggos, according to researchers at Oregon State University. This indicates that cats, however haughty or distant they appear to be, genuinely care about us and regard us as their carers. The author of the study, Kristyn Vitale, was interviewed by Bored Panda.

Attachment behavior research entails reconnecting children with their parents or caregivers after a brief separation. Human newborns, baby monkeys, and beautiful lil puppers can be firmly or insecurely bonded to their parents, according to previous studies. Scientists decided to put the idea to the test with kittens as well.

But what is (in)secure bonding, exactly? It’s actually rather easy. When a kitten’s owner returns, the kitten will both pay attention to them and explore its surroundings, indicating a solid relationship. Meanwhile, an insecure relationship indicates that the kitten is extremely stressed: it avoids its owner and has nervous body language.

Kristyn Vitale of Oregon State University’s Human-Animal Interaction Lab was interviewed by Bored Panda to learn more about her research and its ramifications.

“We still know very little about cat behavior and human-cat relationships,” Vitale added, despite the fact that pet cats exceed dogs in several countries, including the United States. “When compared to the quantity of study studies involving dogs and people, there has been very less research on the cat-human link.”

“Our motivation was to add to the body of knowledge in this subject.” The study went off without a hitch, and we had no trouble finding cats and owners to participate. Overall, this was a rather simple study to carry out.”