Domestic cats are increasingly social but, even so, they continue to behave in a very autonomous way with respect to the humans with whom they live, contrary to what happens with dogs, who have always been faithful companions. Why is this happening?
A team of behavioral veterinary experts from the School of Life Sciences at the University of Lincoln (United Kingdom) has carried out a study whose conclusion determines that the relationship between humans and felines in terms of protection and safety, it differs between what cats and dogs feel . Thus, while dogs perceive their owners as part of an environment in which to feel safe, cats, on the contrary, do not feel this protective refuge, which is why they are much more independent. A cat may be satisfied to interact with its owner but it does not depend on him to feel safe in whatever environment it is, which is consistent with the independent and solitary character of this species.
For the experiment, the researchers zealously adapted the Ainsworth Strange Situation Test (SST), used to demonstrate that the bond between young children or dogs with their primary caregiver can be categorized as an “attachment or safe environment” in the face of situations. or threatening / unfamiliar environments and transferred it to a group of cats and their respective owners. The experiment evaluated the number of contacts that the feline was looking for, its passive behavior and signs of suffering caused by the absence of the owner .
The results revealed that “although our cats were more vocal with the owner than with the stranger when leaving them with the other person, we did not see any additional evidence to suggest that the union between a cat and its owner was that of a secure attachment. ”Explains Daniel Mills, study leader.
“The domestic cat has recently overtaken the dog as the most popular companion animal in Europe, as the cat is seen by many as the ideal pet for owners who work long hours. Previous research has suggested that some cats show signs of separation anxiety when left alone, in the same way that dogs do, but the results of our study show that they are actually much more independent than canine companions . It seems that what we interpret as separation anxiety could actually be signs of frustration, ”Mills clarifies.
The study has been published in the journal PloS One .
