Cats Might Love Humans More Than We Thought

Have you heard that cats are independent and don't really care about people?

Do some of your friends say that cats only show love to humans because they're hoping for some food?

Have you been skeptical of this conventional "wisdom"?

A new study indicates that you are right and cat-suspicious people are wrong.

Do Cats Only Show Humans Love when Food Is Involved?

A new study indicates that many cats prefer interacting with humans more than food, toys, or good smells (Kristyn R. Vitale Shrevea, 2017).

During the study, 50 cats, some with owners and some from shelters, were isolated for a few hours. At the end of that time, they were exposed to 3 stimuli from each of 4 categories: interaction with humans, toys, food, and scents. The cats were observed, and how much time they spent investigating and partaking in each offering was recorded.

Human interaction was the most preferred stimuli, followed by food.

So there you have it: cats love people and prefer interacting with them even to having a yummy treat.

Works Cited

1. Kristyn R. Vitale Shrevea, L. R. (2017, March 24). Social interaction, food, scent or toys? A formal assessment of domestic pet and shelter cat (Felis silvestris catus) preferences. Retrieved from Science Direct: DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2017.03.016.

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