It seems like a common conversation. What do cats think of us? We all know dogs seem to love their owner but cats are a bit different. Well, it seems it has been answered! A new study has come out detailing that hard-hitting question and surprise, cats actually do care about us. The study which is published in The Current Biology contains some interesting tidbits about our feline friends. According to the researchers from Oregon State University, cats displayed distinct attachment styles, much like a baby human or a dog. This means that despite their avoidant nature, cats indeed form unique and meaningful relationships with their owners.
According to Vice.com, This test comprised of 70 kitten subjects, who were put in a room with their caregiver for two minutes before being left alone for two minutes and then reunited. The researchers observed the kittens' behavior and organized them into attachment styles familiar to human babies and dogs: secure, ambivalent, avoidant, and disorganized. The study reports that more than 60 percent of the kittens displayed a secure attachment style, which meant that they were distressed when their caregiver left the room but displayed a healthy balance of attachment and exploration when they came back. Roughly 30 percent of the kittens displayed an insecure attachment style, which means they remained stressed upon reunion and either displayed excessive contact, avoidance, or some disorganized mix. According to the study, the split of secure and insecure attachment styles was similar to that found in the literature for human children.
The study continued 2 months later when the kittens were now adult cats and they shared the same response as before. So that same attachment with humans and cats remained constant.
So, there you go...cats are actually nice...perhaps we misjudged them.