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Does your cat truly love you\u2014does she really care?<\/p>\nDoes your cat truly love you\u2014does she really care?<\/p>\n
There\u2019s a lot of controversy around the emotions of the “ordinary housecat”. They\u2019re aloof, yet they adore human contact; they\u2019re indifferent, but they might actually be capable of a feeling similar to love; they\u2019re independent, and they need and want our companionship. Is your cat uncaring or does she actually love you? If you\u2019re like most, you see both sides of your cat\u2019s purr-sonality. Cats, as all \u201cowners\u201d know are multi-faceted and fascinating beings.![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.matilijapress.com\/catscapades\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/cattigerkittentx-e1528976165309-225x300.jpg\")
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But are they capable of feeling deep emotion? Well, there\u2019s a new study out on this very topic. I\u2019m sure you won\u2019t be surprised to learn that additional research is required to more fully understand the emotions of a domestic cat. (Frankly, I believe we can study cats for eons and never thoroughly understand them.)<\/p>\n
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Preliminarily, the consensus of researchers at Oregon State University is that cats are definitely capable of having a deeply emotional relationship with their \u201cowners.\u201d The team of researchers found evidence suggesting that cats form unique, complex, and deep emotional relationships. Isn\u2019t that music to our ears? This is what cat lovers believe. To have it verified through scientific studies makes my day!<\/p>\n
So how did researchers come to this conclusion? Believe it or not, they administered an![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.matilijapress.com\/catscapades\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/LilyElvis-300x225.jpg\")
attachment test historically used on primates and dogs. They put 70 kittens in a room with a caregiver for two minutes, then left the kittens alone for two minutes before reuniting them with the caregiver. More than 60 percent of the kittens displayed, they say, a \u201csecure attachment style.\u201d This means the kittens demonstrated attachment and a sense of feeling secure when the caregiver returned. Thirty percent of the kittens didn\u2019t display this attachment and remained stressed.<\/p>\n
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As I said, they don\u2019t feel they are finished with their research in this area. They\u2019ve determined that a cat\u2019s emotional development is more complex than they had guessed and there is more work to be done in order to fully understand \u201cthese multifaceted animals.\u201d<\/p>\n
I think cats like it that way\u2014they are and probably always will remain just mysterious enough to continue keeping us on our toes. They\u2019re not going to reveal all of their secrets. They won\u2019t become vulnerable that way. They\u2019ll keep us guessing. It\u2019s their super power.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s more information about that study: https:\/\/today.oregonstate.edu\/news\/cats-children-and-dogs-develop-attachments-their-caregivers-study-shows<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Does your cat truly love you\u2014does she really care? There\u2019s a lot of controversy around the emotions of the “ordinary housecat”. They\u2019re aloof, yet they adore human contact; they\u2019re indifferent, but they might actually be capable of a feeling similar … Continue reading