Are you a parent for a cat?
Scientists from Oregon State University in the United States conducted research of animals to their keepers. The research was led by Kristyn Vitale, a PhD student specializing in animal behavior. She said that most of the cats become attached to their owners and that their owners are a source of safety for them. The test consisted in checking how the cat will behave in the new area after meeting its guardian.
In the case of attachment cat to a human, the kitten will not be so stressed out and will be free to explore the new territory. In the event of a lack of a sense of security in the new area, the kitten will be stressed, overly clinging to the handler or avoiding him altogether. The study was conducted on 79 young kittens and 38 adult cats.
The examination consisted in placing a cat with a handler in the room, the handler sat in the designated area and did not leave it. A human could do anything with a kitten only when it was in the designated human area. Each of the trials was filmed and then viewed and the degree of the cat’s attachment was determined.
The results of the study were surprising. 65% of cats were assessed as being securely attached to their owners. And 35% without feeling safe. Very similar results have been obtained in other studies on the attachment of dogs to owners or even human children to their parents. Now we can all feel like cat parents.
