Cats 'do not need owners for security'
Researchers say the relationship cats form with their owners is not based on the need for protection.
Unlike dogs, cats do not rely on their owners for a sense of safety and security, according to animal behaviour experts.
Cats may have a reputation for aloofness, but it is increasingly recognised that they are more social and capable of shared relationships than previously thought.
Some research has even suggested they may experience separation anxiety when their owners are absent. Lincoln researchers, however, are now arguing that these cats may actually be displaying signs of frustration.
Led by Professor Daniel Mills from the University of Lincoln, the research team carefully adapted the Ainsworth Strange Situation Test (SST). This has been widely used to show that the bond between young children or pet dogs and their primary carer can be categorised as 'secure attachment'. In other words, the carer is seen as a source of safety and security in unfamiliar environments.
The test was used to observe 20 cat-owner pairs. In various scenarios, pets were placed in an unfamiliar environment alone, with their owner and with a stranger.
Attachment was characterised by the amount of contact the cat sought with their owner, the level of passive behaviour and signs of distress in the absence of the owner.
Although cats were more vocal when their owner, rather than the stranger, left them, Prof Mills said the team "didn't see any additional evidence to suggest that the bond between a cat and its owner is one of secure attachment".
Therefore, the vocalisation "might simply be a sign of frustration or a learned response".
Prof Mills explained: "Attached individuals seek to stay close to their carer, show signs of distress when they are separated and demonstrate pleasure when their attachment figure returns, but these trends weren’t apparent during our research."
Dogs, on the other hand, often view their owners as a 'safe haven' in unusual situations.
Prof Mills stressed that the findings do not dispute the idea that cats can form close relationships, but they do suggest that these relationships are not based on the need for protection. Researchers believe this is due to the nature of the species - an independent, solitary hunter.
The research has been published in the PLOS ONE journal: http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0135109
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