New research from Eötvös Loránd University in Hungary suggests that cats are not emotionally dependent on their owners, unlike dogs. The study, published in the journal Applied Animal Behaviour Science, found that cats showed no significant attachment to their owners, even when tested in unfamiliar environments.
Researchers tested 15 therapy cats, accustomed to travelling, and 13 regular companion cats. They placed the cats in a room and observed their reactions to their owner compared to a stranger. Therapy cats were equally friendly with both, while companion cats showed little reaction to either.
The study concluded that cats do not form dependency-based bonds with humans. Dr Péter Pongrácz, who led the study, explained that cats have developed a coexistence with people as equals, unlike dogs which became dependent through domestication.
The “strange situation test”, previously used to show dogs’ child-parent-like attachment to owners, revealed that cats did not display signs of attachment such as staying close or playing preferentially with their owner. The findings highlight the independent nature of cats.
