Most Kittens See Owners 'As Parents': Study
Dogs are pets who are generally believed to be very emotionally attached to their owners, but a recently published study in the Current Biology Journal, by researchers at Oregon State University shows that kittens are also very close to their owners or caregivers and feel more emotionally connected to them. Even kittens see their owners as their 'parents'.
The research found during the experiment that most kittens had a 'secure attachment style' of affection towards their owners. That is, when their owners returned to them after leaving them in a room during the experiment, they experienced a "low-stress response", i.e. the kittens' behavior was spontaneous and affectionate.
In this study, the behavior of a group of kittens between the ages of four and eight months was analyzed. An experiment was done in which cats first spent two minutes with their caretakers, then the caretakers left them alone for 2 minutes and returned back to the kittens for another 2 minutes.
In this study, kittens were classified according to the attachment styles
- Secure attachment kitten
- Insecure Ambivalent kitten
- Insecure Avoidant kitten
- Secure attachment adult
Researchers in the study reported that approximately 64 percent of kittens exhibited a secure attachment style to their owners and were less stressed and comfortable when they were reunited. While another 36 percent of the kittens exhibited an insecure attachment style, i.e. cats did not demonstrate emotional closeness when their owners left or returned to them.
Based on the results of this experiment, it was confirmed that cats show a similar capacity for the formation of secure and insecure attachments towards human caregivers. Cat attachment style appears to be relatively stable and is present in adulthood. In free-roaming settings, both cats and dogs are facultatively social species and live individually or in groups based on environmental pressures and availability of resources.
Cats are generally seen as non-communicative, not very warm or emotionally attached, and exhibit independent behavior. But, the results of this study are quite contrasting to the mindset that we have of cats, which is rather surprising. Also, the researchers not only say that kittens do not break out of a secure attachment style for a long time but also mention that "the attachment style in cats appears to be relatively stable, i.e. children who exhibit a secure attachment style in childhood have the same pattern of attachment as an adult.”
Also read:How Are Pets Good For Human Health?
