There
are plenty of studies about man’s best friend (the dog) and canine and
owner interaction, however science is just now beginning to look into
cat and owner interaction. It turns out that if dogs are be mans best
friend, cats may be woman’s.
A
study conducted at the University of Vienna has conducted that female
cat owners may have a stronger bond with their feline friends than male
cat owners - or, more accurately, cats tend to favor women. This is
because throughout the study (which examined 41 cats and their owners
over long-term periods), they found that the cats would approach female
owners & initiate contact at a higher frequency than with male cat
owners. It is believed that this is because female cat owners tend to
interact with their pets more often than males.
In fact, researchers saw that cat and human relationship dynamics are
very close to human-human bonding dynamics. The cat can take the part of
a child within a house hold, as many pet owners are sure to already be
aware of.
Despite popular belief of domestic cats being incredibly independent,
this study showed that cats tend to remember kind gestures and will
return the favor later. For example, if a cat wishes to play and the
owner complies, that cat will be more likely to tolerate the owner’s
wish to play at a later time. Cat and owner interaction is strongly
influenced by both the cat AND the owner, and cats can manipulate human
behavior (demanding to be fed) just as much as humans can manipulate cat
behavior (training). In summary, cats attach to humans for more than the relationship perk of receiving food. Cats build strong bonds with their owners and have complex relationships that offer social support, play, affection, and love.
If you are away from home for a period of time, consider hiring a cat sitter to visit your cat and provide their essential needs for not only food, but love and interaction while you are away.
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