cats have a reputation for being distant and independent. You do not need anyone and be just as happy without the presence of their owners, whose company just looking to get some benefit in the form of food or of massage between the ears. This belief is especially widespread among the dog lovers, convinced of the superiority of their pets. But they are wrong.
A new study by Oregon State University (OSU) reveals that cats of company form bonds with their owners humans that are similar to the ties established by children and dogs with their caregivers. This means that the majority of the mininos you feel safer in the presence of the person with whom you share life.
According to the lead author, Kristyn Vitale, a researcher at the Interaction Lab Human-Animal in the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, OSU, this is the first time that researchers demonstrate empirically that the cats show the same attachment styles, leading that the baby and the dog.
"so Much in dogs as in cats, the attachment to humans may represent an adaptation of the link between the offspring and its caregiver," says Vitale. "Attachment behavior is biologically relevant. Our study indicates that when cats live in a state of dependence to a human, that attachment behaviour is flexible, and most of the cats used to humans as a source of comfort".
A cat shows a behavior of secure attachment with the researcher Kristyn Vitale in the Interaction Lab Human-Animal of the Oregon State University - State University of OregónPrueba attachmentIn their study, published in the journal "Current Biology", the researchers made the cats will participate in a "proof of secure base", similar to a test that has been done to babies and dogs to study their behaviors of addiction. During this test, the cat spends two minutes in a new room with a caregiver, followed by a phase of two minutes only and then a phase of meeting two minutes.
the return of the caregiver after an absence of two minutes, cats with secure attachment to the person are less stressed and to balance your attention between the person and their surroundings. For example, continue to explore the room. On the other hand, cats with an insecure attachment show signs of stress, such as moving the tail and licking the lips, and stay away from the person (avoidance) or to hold on to them jumping on his lap, and without moving (ambivalence).
The researchers performed the test both in kittens and in adult cats. Experts in behavior observed the recordings of the tests and classified the actions of the animal according to the criteria that have been used to describe patterns of attachment in babies and dogs.
Of the 70 kittens that were classifiable, 64.3% were categorized as attached safely and 35.7% were categorized as unsafe.
Then, the researchers were interested in finding out if training in socialization would change those percentages. But after a course of six weeks, there were no significant differences. "Once you've established a style of attachment between the cat and its caregiver, appears to remain relatively stable over time, even after an intervention of training and socialization," says Vitale.
Source securityThe cats, like most domesticated animals, preserved several traits of juveniles until maturity, and depend on humans for their care. For this reason, the researchers tested 38 cats that had 1 year or more. The percentages nearly mirror the population of the kittens: 65.8% had a secure attachment and 34.2%, unsafe.
According to Vitale, it is astonishing how the results of kittens and adult cats match with the child population human. In humans, 65% of babies are attached safely to your caregiver.
"it Is likely that the cats that are unsafe to run and hide or appear to act distant," says Vitale. "For a long time there has been a biased thinking that all cats behave this way. But most of the cats use their owner as a source of security. Your cat depends on you to feel safe when you are stressed," he concludes.
Date Of Update: 24 September 2019, 04:01
