A new study from Oregon State University reveals that pet cats attach to their human owners in the same way that children and dogs attach to their caregivers.
This is the first time researchers have empirically demonstrated that cats exhibit the same principal attachment styles as babies and dogs, said Kristyn Vitale, lead author of the study and researcher at the Human-Animal Interaction Lab in the OSU College of Agricultural Sciences.
"In both dogs and cats, attachment to humans can represent an adaptation of the bond between offspring and caregiver," Vitale said. "Attachment is a biologically relevant behavior. Our study indicates that when cats live in a state of dependence with a human, this attachment behavior is flexible, and the majority of cats use the human as a source of comfort."
In their study, OSU researchers had cats participate in a "secure base test," similar to a test administered to infants and dogs to study their attachment behaviors. During this test, the cat spends two minutes in a new room with its owner, followed by a two-minute phase alone, and then a two-minute reunion phase.
Upon returning from the two-minute absence, cats who are attached to the person are less stressed and balance their attention between the person and their surroundings. For example, they continue to explore the room. On the other hand, cats with insecure attachment show signs of stress such as tail twitching and lip licking, and either stay away from the person (avoidance) or cling to them by jumping onto their lap and not moving (ambivalence).
The researchers performed the test on kittens and adult cats. Behavior specialists observed the test recordings and classified the animals' actions according to the criteria used to describe attachment patterns in infants and dogs.
Of the 70 kittens that could be classified, 64.3% were classified as securely attached and 35.7% were classified as insecurely attached.
The researchers then wanted to know if socialization training would change these percentages. After six weeks of training, there were no significant differences.
"Once an attachment style has been established between the cat and its caregiver, it appears to remain relatively stable over time, even after a training and socialization intervention," Vitale said.
Cats, like most domesticated animals, retain several juvenile traits until maturity and remain dependent on humans for care, Vitale said. The researchers therefore tested 38 cats aged one year or older. The percentages almost mirrored the kitten population – 65.8% secure and 34.2% insecure.
It was surprising, Vitale said, how closely the proportion of secure and insecure attachments in kitten and adult cat populations matched the human infant population. In humans, 65% of infants are securely attached to their caregivers.
"Insecurely attached cats may run and hide or appear to keep their distance," Vitale said. "There has long been a biased way of thinking that all cats behave this way. But the majority of cats use their owner as a source of security. Your cat depends on you to feel secure when it's stressed."
Vitale earned her doctorate at OSU in 2018 and conducted this research as a National Science Foundation postdoctoral research fellow.
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The study's co-authors were Monique Udell, assistant professor in OSU's Department of Animal and Rangeland Sciences and director of the Human-Animal Interaction Lab; and Alexandra Behnke, a veterinary student at OSU.
