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Cats do not need owners; they can provide for themselves.
According to a new study, cats are courageous domestic felines that do not need their owners to defend them of strangers. The finding has helped explain why cats often ignore their masters and tend to act superior.
Alice Potter, the author of the research, is fond of all pets, but there are some behavioral differences that have always tormented her. She could not explain herself why cats are so distant with their owners whereas dogs are always friendly. Like most people, she initially thought cats do not show their feelings or that they do not get truly attached to humans around them, but her new study has helped her make an interesting discovery.
According to Potter, cats are courageous domestic felines, even though they don’t appear to be so. They have preserved many of their hunting skills, as well as their desire to walk alone in savannas in search of vulnerable preys. While dogs and humans may be aware that evolution has turned them into cute little hairy toys, cats believe deep within their souls that they are ferocious and cruel felines.
This self-perception is making them distant towards their owners because they feel they can protect themselves. Dogs, on the other hand, are much attached to their masters because the latter provide the food and the shelter they need for a worriless life.
This conclusion was reached during the recent experiment that Alice Potter and her team of researchers from the University of Lincoln in UK have conducted. They have used the Ainsworth Strange Situation Test to understand human and animal relationships.
The cats were placed in an unfamiliar environment and were observed during three scenarios. During the first scene, they were accompanied by their owners, in the second set, they were left with a stranger and finally during the third phase, they were left alone.
Their behavior remained the same during all three situations proving that cats do not run into their masters’ arms when confronted with dangers. Dogs, on the other hand, look for protection when in unfamiliar situations.
The findings of the study were published in the journal PLOS One.
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