Cats are just as loyal as dogs, says new research debunking 'aloof' myth

Cats love their owners as much as dogs do, even if they don't show it
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Matt Drake24 September 2019

Cats are just as loyal as dogs and children, according to new research.

Although feline pets are seen as distant and aloof, researchers claim this is an unfair myth.

Study leader Dr Kristyn Vitale of Oregon State University, said: “Cats that are insecure can be likely to run and hide or seem to act aloof.

"There’s long been a biased way of thinking that all cats behave in this way.

“But the majority of cats use their owner as a source of security.

The study debunks the myth that cats are aloof from their owners
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“Your cat is depending on you to feel secure when they are stressed.”

In the study, Vitale's team replicated the strange situation tests designed in the 1970s to evaluate the parent-infant bond.

Instead of parents and infants, they used 108 cats including 70 kittens and 38 adult felines.

Their study showed kittens reacted the same way as puppies and children when they are unexpectedly left alone.

During the study, 70 moggies were placed in an unfamiliar room with their owner for two minutes.

The owner then walked out of the room for another two minutes before returning.

Researchers said 64.3 per cent of the cats showed signs of "secure attachment".

When their owner returned, they became more relaxed and split their time into seeking attention and exploring their surroundings.

But the rest remained stressed and many became clingy, while others completely avoided their owner - in what is known as "insecure attachment".

Vitale told NBC news: "The characteristics of a secure cat, for example, are greeting their owner and then going back to what they were doing.

"That’s how a secure human also behaves.

"It’s important for owners to think about that. When they’re in a stressful situation, how they’re behaving can actually have a direct impact on their cats’ behaviour."

In similar research, 65% of kids and 58% of puppies showed similar signs of secure attachment to parents and owners.

The findings are published in the journal Current Biology on Monday.

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