Human-Cat Psychology: Do Cats Improve Our Mood and Become Attached to Us?
"There are two means of refuge from the miseries of life: music and cats." -- Albert Schweitzer
Last year I covered 5 unusual studies on the psychology of dogs and their owners. This kicked off a comment thread which discussed how dogs act as ice-breakers, how they might mediate the tension between couples and how long after you died they would wait to feast on your flesh.
Apparently dogs wait longer than cats although I'm pretty sure there's no experimentally controlled evidence for this.
But what about cat-lovers and research into the psychology of cats? Inspired by MindHacks, I've uncovered a small literature on cats' effects on human mood, their ability to become attached to their owners, their personalities and our relationships with them.
Can cats improve your mood?
Cats are frequently accused of being selfish, but it's humans who are often being a little selfish when they get a cat - they hope it will give them pleasure. But do cats really consistently improve mood - was Albert Schweitzer right?Research carried out by anthrozoologists suggests he was. A recent Swiss study recruited 212 couples with cats and compared how both their cat and their partner affected their mood.
Their results showed that, in line with previous studies, cats could alleviate negative moods but were unlikely to promote positive moods. People's positive moods were more associated with their partners.
So it's a cautious thumbs-up for cats - they might not make you burst into song, but they'll take the edge off a bad day.
Is your cat really attached to you?
The reason that cats can alleviate negative moods is often attributed to attachment - the emotional bond between cat and owner. But cats are well-known for being fickle so do they really become attached to their owners?Remarkably there's actually been a quite sophisticated study on cat attachment behaviour towards their owners.
The classic procedure for investigating attachment in humans is the 'strange situation'. It tests how infants react to their mother (or father) leaving the room and then returning.
Well, this Mexican research used a similar procedure, but on cats. Analysis of the cats' behaviour suggested they were indeed emotionally attached. While the cats were with their owners they appeared more relaxed and were more likely to explore their environment.
This is pretty good ammunition for all cat-owners who are fed up with being told by cat-haters that cats don't care about...well...anything other than food and catnip.
What is your cat's personality?
So it seems that cats can alleviate negative moods and become attached to humans, but do they actually have personalities of their own?Most cat-owners would say yes. Indeed in this study owners were asked to rate their cats on 12 items and when these were analysed, four dimensions of cat personality emerged. These were the extent to which their cat was:
- Active, clever, curious, and sociable.
- Emotional, friendly and protective.
- Aggressive and bad-tempered.
- Timid.
Remember these aren't categories but rather dimensions, so that a cat might receive a rating on each of these four dimensions which altogether would make up their personality.
With a bit of imagination these four factors can be superimposed on the widely agreed five factors of human personality: the first factor is like extraversion, the second could be neuroticism, the third factor agreeableness and the last factor openness to experience.
Obviously the final human factor, conscientiousness, has no place in the psychology of cats - whoever heard of a conscientious cat?
One legitimate criticism of this research is that people are just imagining or projecting personalities onto their cats. But these dimensions do line up with previous research on cat personality which has been carried out by people rating cats they didn't know.
How to develop a good relationship with your cat
Like any relationship, that between a cat and a human seems to require give and take, especially since cats are so independent.Dr Dennis Turner from the Institute for Applied Ethology and Animal Psychology has carried out a series of studies investigating how humans and cats interact (e.g. this one).
From his research Dr Turner argues that the best relationships between cats and humans are found when humans respect a cat's independence.
Of course anyone who actually owns a cat hardly needs to be told that!
Random cat psychology facts
Here are some other random cat facts I uncovered:- Fat cat facts: Owners of obese cats can't see how fat their cats really are. Also, unlike the owners of fat dogs, owners of fat cats tended not to be overweight themselves.
- Cats sent off to quarantine are friendlier, more affectionate and more timid when they return home.
- Cats lack a sweet taste receptor - so there's another reason, along with the fact that it can seriously harm or kill them, not to feed them chocolate.
Any other cat psychology facts you'd like to add? Please do add a comment below...
» This is part of a series on the psychology of the everyday.
[Image credit: swanky]
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32 comments
I have a ten month old kitten and she loves to show affection. My only problem is that she loves to show her affection by "making biscuits" with her claws into my chest. I want to love on her and hold her but that is all she wants to do 90% of the time. Got any ideas? I don't want to declaw her because I think it's cruel.
My cat shows affection sometimes by either licking my chest hair or my arm pit hair. Funny, I know, but it's cute. Unfortunately, it also hurts because of the velcro-like bones in his toung. Sometimes I interpret this as my cat taking care of me by cleaning me. Other times I interpret this as my cat regressing to kittenhood and thinking he is nursing.
My cat does that too and it can get a bit painful when her nails are long. I'm assuming you've already tried clipping her nails frequently...?
Just clip her claws. She thinks you're the mommy/her bed -- so she's kneading the surface.
I would love to clip her nails but she is so hyper, due to the little kitten that is in her, I can hardly get her to stay still to even untangle her whenever she's tangled up in her yarn ball. She wails and yells like I'm hurting her whenever I'm trying to get her untangled but I'm not even really touching her! So, clipping her nails would be really hard right now. I've been draping a quilt over me before she lies down and it helps but only a little. I only just got her a couple of weeks ago so I'm still learning her likes, dislikes, pet peeves and food rotations. So there is still a lot of learning going on between us.
Conscientious cats? Well, they are a bit obsessive about cleanliness!
Use some very gentle negative reinforcement. If claws touch skin, say "owch" or something like that and gently put her down. Don't scream or jump or do anything that will make her fearful, all you want to do is deprive her of cuddles. Then, and this is most important, when she jumps back up, give her all your attention when she's not digging her claws into you. It will take some time but she will learn that not giving you acupuncture will bring good things. It may take a long time, be patient. Sometimes it helps to give them a sacrificial stuffed animal or sweater to puncture, the kneading is very comforting for them. Many cats go nuts over really soft stuff like angora. You can set the criteria, such as everything is OK except skin and my good blouses. Some of my cats now lay on their back and "do the paw thing", which is non-painful and makes visitors laugh.
I think arm pit kitty is grooming you, I had one that would try to clean my eyelids, yeow. I guess it's a compliment.
My husband said my cat was depressed while I was away. I am also very attached to her. For Joan: Cats can learn. When she jumps up and starts scratching, swat her and put her down each and every time. She'll learn.
what you can do is start massaging her paws when she's just relaxing with you. That will get her used to you touching her paws. In some time, she'll become comfortable enough for you to trim the nails. Worked for me, and my cat was a total spazball when she was younger. Totally nuts.
Thanks so much for everyone's advice. I'll keep you updated.
Yes, they will - but only if you show them the same love and respect. A cat's love is not unconditional. You can't just treat them as some home accessory.
I've said it before and I'll say it again: Look at a household where the humans don't pay much attention to their cat, and you'll find a quiet cat. One that has given up on trying to talk with their humans, because the humans won't listen. In places where the humans do actually give a damn and talk to their cats, you'll find the cats are much more 'chatty' and vocalise more often.
I agree Neko. My cat, Gotham, is the most talkative cat. Just today when I was walking up to the front door I could already hear her meowing for me to come inside. She definitely let's me know when something is on her mind! And it's so cool how one meow sounds completely different from another. I can tell, already, when this meow means that she's hungry or that meow means she wants attention. It's amazing! I feel like freakin' Doctor Doolittle sometimes. But, the bottom line is that I haven't even had her a month yet and I've fallen in love with her. She's purrfect!
I have a fat cat and I *know* that she's fat. She weighs about 18 pounds (I think. Haven't weighed her in a while). She came to us fat. We've tried just about everything to help her lose weight, but it isn't going to happen, apparently.
To Amy: I had three cats who each weighed about 17 pounds and I got weight off of them by feeding them canned food with no grains (cats store carbs as fat - their bodies don't know what to do with them) and by throwing their toys back and forth across the room every night. They would run and chase them, getting lots of great exercise. They're now under 15 pounds and still losing. My Maine Coon mix is a large cat and 15 pounds is fine for him, but the others still have a ways to go. This is the only thing that has worked for mine.
To Joan: If your cat likes treats, you can try rewarding her after successful nail trims with treats. Ollie, my maine coon mix, was a total spaz when he was a kitten and after trying to trim his nails I would end up a bloody mess, but persistence and rewards paid off in the end, and he's just fine with it now.
I have another cat that was overweight and the key to his successful weight loss was the indoor formula dry food that Purina has. It has a little less fat in it because it's designed for cats that don't go outside. My tabby lost about 5 pounds on this food. We fed him just 1 and a half cups of this food a day and about every three days we would feed him a can of nine lives canned cat food. He has kept the weight off and I can tell that he feels better. See if this works for you. Good luck :-)
My kitten is very energetic, and loves to bite anything that moves, and many things that don't. Unfortunately, that includes my hands, feet, and face. I can play with her for a bit and it's okay, but she gets really vicious and sometimes draws blood. What can I do to let her know that that's too rough?
Also, she jumps on me and does basically the same thing when I'm sleeping. I'll close the door to my room but she'll meow for hours. Any advice for that, too?
To Tamwyn: I know that this might sound a little weird but whenever my kitten is lying on me and she starts to get a little rough I simply let out an "Ouwwww" like a little winey child would. I don't shout it or anything but I guess with the suddlety in my voice and the fact that I think it sounds like a "Meow" she responds to it. I know it sounds weird but it works for my kitten. Give it a shot and good luck!
As a cat behaviorist, I find the word "independent" most unfortunated. Talk about antropomorphizing!
The ancestors of felis domesticus are solitary. In other words, they are not like pack animals. They don't feel as comfortable as dogs do when their owners swarm them with affection. But wild cats sometimes form lifetime bonds with siblings, and certainly become attached.
I'm blown away that we would question whether cats have personalities. What century are we living in? The structure of their brain alone should tell us that.
I've seen far too many cats suffer from people projecting and misinterpreting information. I suggest a book called The Tribe of Tiger by Elizabeth Marshall Thomas for cat behavior reading.
ps Joan, good idea not to declaw your cat. It causes arthritis, refusal to use the litterbox and biting. You'll be miserable with a declawed cat. Have a vet teach you to trim her nails. It will be easier once she is older and mmore mellow. They will be square and won't hurt at all. And sit in such a way that she can only knead your legs.
Tamwyn, don't use your hands as play - and don't get near her when you're playing. That just teaches her that your body is a toy. Use the "fishing line" toys or throw a ball away from your body.
If she attacks you, squirt her with a water bottle. This behavior will become much more serious as she gets older, so disipline her now and consistently. Make sure any visitors do the same.
Lock her in a room when you sleep, where you can't hear her. Feliway may help calm her down. Play with her before you go to bed to get her tired, and don't ever respond to her cries. Make sure she has a litterbox - she'll get used to it!
Joan,
Fleece blankets! cats love 'em. put that over your chest or put the kitten on that off to the side of you.
On the topic of at attachment, I have a cat that is extremely possessive/protective of me. We have three other cats, and this one spends all his time "guarding" me ie. sitting alertly at attention near me or outside any door (especially the bathroom) I might be behind. He only really relaxes at night when he sleeps on my feet. Also, he has a funny tail that always curls up to his back, but once when I was gone for a week my boyfriend said his tail was straight the whole time!
I've had to go on a few trips recently and leave my cat with my fiance or at a kitty hotel. Since then he won't let me go anywhere in the apartment alone. He follows me to the bathroom, to the kitchen, sits on my lap at my desk, and if I pace the room he paces with me. I feel terrible for him since I know I will have to leave again in a few months to prepare a new home back in the states. It'll be 3 months before they can join me. Any ideas on how to make this easier on him?
Oh and on the biting and kneading, I've found that if I say ow gently and his name enough he switches from biting or scratching to licking, but it took some time to teach him.
Thanks for this article ;) So interesting that I've made a translation to french. I've just added a few thing, may you'll like the video at the end.
TNK,
Try to get your fiance or other petsitters to bond with your cat. Time and someone with a kind, understanding personality will make your cat much less anxious when you leave.
Also ask your vet about Feliway and Rescue Remedy. These releave anxiety in cats as well.
Your cat is also probably really stressed out at the thought of going to a kitty hotel. Cats become very attached to their homes and removing them is the worst thing that can happen, as far as they are concerned.
Do all you can to make sure your cat can stay at home. ;)
Maya's right, if your cat could choose he'd stay at your place with your fiance.
My new kitten, the one that I have been previously speaking of, is acting very peculiar. Well, everytime that I get in the shower she will sit there outside the curtain with her little front paws on the lip of the tub, looking up at me and I know this because we have a clear shower curtain and proceed to meow to the point like someone is hurting her! I don't understand why she does this but she does it with my husband too! And yet whenever I go into the bathroom to brush my teeth or whatever she will follow me and jump into the tub and want me to turn on a drip from the tub faucet so she can play with it. So, I know that she's not afraid of the water. I just wonder why she keeps doing this. Any ideas guys and gals? Maya?
Hi Joan!
First I must apologize to the writer of this blog, I will give my email at the end of this so you won't have to keep reading my unsolicited advice LOL.
Joan, that's funny what your kitten does. Many cats do this, and a friend of mine once joked that our cats see us taking a shower, and they are saying, "How can you do that??"
To answer your question, as long as your kitten is okay and not howling in pain after your shower is over, I'm sure she's fine.
Of course she's not afraid of a few drips, but a full blown shower is scary and indeed would be dangerous for an animal her size. Even a full grown cat could drown or be injured in a shower. She knows she can't jump in safely. Cats are very smart in this way.
Is she a very affectionate, clingy kitten? She's probably "in agony" because she can't curl up next to you - she's been blocked from getting close to you because of the hammering needles of water.
The good news is, it sounds like she's a very loving kitten who's attached to both of you! ;)
Here's my email you (or anyone) has more questions,
karyfinch@yahoo.com
Or click on the name "Maya" and come visit my blog!
One of my cats has separation anxiety if I leave for more than a day. (He hides and throws up). There is no doubt they are all attached because when I come back from being out of town, they are all over me. When I am sick or sad, they know that too and stay very close. The unconditional love is enough for overall mood improvement. I'm a little silly about it...they are all on pages on the Catster site. It's truly a win/win relationship.
I think the best way that my little kitten got over her separation anxiety was when a friend of mine would come over and play with her and take care of her while I was out of town. It always cheered her up whenever my friend would come over because she would get out my kitten's favorite ball or bell toy and go to town with her! I know that it won't cure the anxiety but it does help I think. :-)
Next topic: Here is the problem that I'm having. My 10 month old kitten is a gem and she is wonderful to have in every way. The only problem is that whenever she uses the litter box and goes #2 she stinks up the entire house! I mean, I've tried a different kind of canned food and I've tried a different brand of kitten dry food. I've been feeding her the good stuff, Purina Kitten chow dry food and Fancy Feast wet food. I've tried Nine Lives wet food and MeowMix Kitten formula and a few others but her #2's are still pretty stinky. Any suggestions guys and gals?
I use cat claw covers on my mog. He doesn't mind them in the least and they do him no harm whatsoever. There were developed by a vet in the US to try and dissuade people from the cruel act of declawing.
Here's a link to the site.
http://www.softclaws.com/colors.asp
Cat can be jealous too.
I used to have only 1 female cat that sometime slept in my bed and get all the attention from the family. When another stray cat came and we adopted him, she was very jealous, protective to us (human) and become vicious. It took months for them to get along (lucky this newbie is peacefull and friendly).
Joan,
Try switching to a better catfood such as proplan or science diet. Your vet can recommend one. They are more expensive than regular store foods but your cat will eat less and be healthier.
Thanks to everyone who commented on this post - glad it sparked a discussion but I'm closing the comments on it now.