Scientists have revealed the five types of relationships between cats and their humans — among which are ‘friendship’, ‘co-dependence’ and ‘remote association’.
Researchers from the University of Lincoln polled 3,994 cat owners about their own behaviours towards their feline friends — and vice versa.
Alongside the study, the team have also published an interactive quiz so that cat owners can find out what kind of relationship they have with their pets.
Scientists have revealed the five types of relationships between cats and their humans — among which are friendship, co-dependence and remote association
‘Cats form close emotional relationships with humans, yet little is actually known about this,’ said paper author and animal behavioural expert Daniel Mills of the University of Lincoln.
‘As with any complex social relationship, the type of cat-owner bond is a product of the dynamic between both individuals involved, along with their certain personality features,’ he added.
‘While many cats may be aloof, it seems that this is not as common as might be portrayed.’
‘The wider sociability of the cat and owner expectations may be significant and the owner’s level of emotional investment in the cat and the cat’s sociability appear to be particularly important in discriminating what type of relationship they have.’
Professor Mills and his colleagues designed their questionnaire to gather data on the different emotional elements that underpin the cat–human relationship.
These, they explained, included how much the cat appeared to perceive their owner as a secure base in their home, as well as the extent to which owners engaged with their pets, were sensitive to their needs and were consistent in their interactions.
Alongside ‘friendship’, ‘co-dependence’ and ‘remote association’, the other two relationship types identified were ‘casual relationship’ and ‘open relationship’.
The team said that they hope that their findings will not only improve our understanding of how we relate to cats — but also improve pet care generally.
The full findings of the study were published in the journal Animals.