Are cats really attached to their master?
Cats are often deemed to be asocial and independent. Because they are not as expressive as dogs, you would think they are indifferent to everything around them. In the memes and videos posted on social media, they are arrogant, sometimes tyrannical animals who have no sense of humor. Yet even though the cat seems unmoved by his owner's displays of affection, he is attached to him.
Evidence scientists of the cat's attachment to its master
Even if sometimes, he would be complacent, the cat is very devoted to his master . A study was carried out to verify this link. The results, published in the American magazine Current Biology of September 23, 2019 , show that this felid is not completely indifferent to his master: he creates links security with the latter.
How was the study conducted? A cat and its owner enter together into an environment which is new to them. The master has fun with his pet for two minutes, then leaves the room, leaving his cat there. After two minutes of absence, he comes back to him.
In most cases, precisely 64%, the cat has a calm and reassured response . He approaches his master to ask for a hug and to play with him. His behavior is interpreted as proof of the depth of their relationship : the presence of the master is enough to put the cat in confidence . In other cases, the cat reacts in an anxious manner. Either he waggles his tail nervously or licks his chops - yes, that is sometimes a sign of anxiety in felines.
