Latest news with #JournalofVeterinaryBehavior
Newsweek
a day ago
- Health
- Newsweek
Scientists Reveal Secrets to Getting Your Cat to Love You
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. As independent creatures, cats often get a reputation that they are hard to win over, but scientists might have cracked the code to building a stronger bond. A study published in the Journal of Veterinary Behavior presented 413 participants with a questionnaire based on the Cat/Dog-Owner Relationship Scale, or C/DORS, which measures the quality of the bond between felines and their owners—the first of its kind conducted in Spain. Results found the quality of an owner-cat relationship is related to factors such as lifestyle, breed, time spent alone, type of housing, behavioral problems and the number of cats living together. Thirteen of the 22 variables affected the relationship between cats and humans, while nine did not. Owners, or future pet parents, should consider the following factors when wanting to strengthen their bond with their cats, according to the study. A stock image of a woman holding a gray and white cat in her arms. A stock image of a woman holding a gray and white cat in her arms. Olezzo/Getty Images The Study's Findings Understanding Signals Cats are deliberate with every move. They use their eyes, tails and meows to communicate. Owners who understand their cat's vocalizations and signals tend to report stronger bonds. Learning a cat's signals can help identify signs of pain, fear, stress and more. Purebred vs. Mixed Breeds The study found purebred cats have a more positive relationship than non-pedigree felines, also known as mixed breeds, due to their predictable behaviors from selective breeding practices and tracing their ancestry. They tend to be more interactive. However, mixed-breed cats are adaptable and low-maintenance. They are often considered more independent than purebreds. Acquisition of Cats Owners who adopted or picked up felines as strays resulted in a "superior level of owner-rated attachment" when compared to those who purchased cats. The authors believe this could be due to a strong emotional connection adopters feel. They take on a humanitarian responsibility. While those who purchase cats, usually from breeders or pet shops, generally seek a specific breed, age, size or temperament. Behavioral Issues A cat's behavior, when moderate or severe, can erode a bond with an owner. Problematic behaviors might include aggression, house soiling or activity throughout the night. The impact depends on how the owner perceives the behavior. Time Spent Together To strengthen the bond with your cat, consider the amount of time spent together. The study found that cats who are left alone for less than four hours have a higher-quality relationship with their humans. Home Impacts Based on the study's answers, cats who live in apartments have a higher quality relationship with their humans. This may be due to proximity, more shared space and frequent interaction—like sleeping in their owner's bed. Apartment-living cats also have a stronger bond because owners tend to purchase more toys, spend more time together, allow them to use household objects and even celebrate their birthdays. Multi-cat homes can also positively impact the relationship between them and their owners. Felines might feel less alone. Owners of more than one cat tend to be more invested, understanding their signals and communication. There tends to be more interaction and higher engagement. Owners should be aware of the potential anxiety and stress cats might experience when living with other pets. The study did not find a significant impact of indoor versus outdoor cats on the relationship between them and humans. Improving Bonds While the overall relationship between owners and cats from this population remained strong, with an average score of 78.78 out of 100 on relationship quality, there is always room for improvement. The study noted some factors, including a cat's breed, are unable to be changed once adopted or brought home. However, owners can increase bonding time, learn the way felines communicate and how to correctly deal with unwanted cat behaviors before they lead to a strain on the relationship.
National Geographic
28-07-2025
- Science
- National Geographic
Are orange cats really the goofiest cats? Genetics may have an answer.
The best science on ginger feline behavior hints, yeah, there might be something special about them. Orange cats are said to have goofy personalities. Is that really true? Photograph by Christina Gandolfo, Alamy Stock Photo Hanging from lamps, catapulting off countertops, tackling the dog, biting your legs unexpectedly—there are many wacky behaviors associated with orange cats, often captured on TikTok, whose owners swear are extra derpy, slapdash, and yet also friendly to a fault. But scientifically speaking, are orange cats actually any different than cats of other colors? For starters, orange cats are not a breed, like British shorthair or Siamese. Cats of many breeds, from Maine coons and munchkins to American bobtails and Siberians, can have orange colorations. Which perhaps makes it all the weirder that orange cat aficionados claim that orange cat behaviors transcend breed. Earlier this year scientists identified the gene responsible for the orange coat coloration found in cats. It's called ARHGAP36. But as to whether orange coloration also comes with a suite of behaviors or personality traits, much less is known. (Surprising things you never knew about your cat) In 2015, a small study published in the journal Anthrozoös used an anonymous online poll to find that people were at least more likely to attribute the trait 'friendliness' to orange cats than other cat colors. And a larger study published in the Journal of Veterinary Behavior in the same year also found some support to the idea that orange cats are distinct. 'We found that most of the differences are breed-related, but there were also some differences related to coat color,' says Carlo Siracusa, a clinical scientist at the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and senior author of the study. Lilac-colored cats, for instance, were found to be more playful and more likely to experience separation anxiety. Piebald cats, or those with white patches, had decreased vocalization scores. And cats with a tortoiseshell pattern were less aggressive toward dogs. But orange cats? 'It's interesting that you mention orange cats being more outgoing, more gregarious, because actually, we found the opposite,' says Siracusa. 'They were more likely to show fear-related aggressions towards unfamiliar people.' Orange cats were also linked to a heightened interest in prey. Digging into the science on orange cats While Siracusa's research may be some of the best we have when it comes to attributing any behavior to cat colors, he is quick to qualify the findings. 'Our assessment was done through questions sent to owners. It was not done via direct observation,' he says. 'Every time you use a questionnaire, you are assuming the risk of bias, because you are asking people what they think about something.' Therefore, it may just be that the idea of orange cats being extra sassy is so prominent, that bias is showing up in studies. Even with that knowledge though, Siracusa says biases are often grounded in experience. And as someone who handles cats on a regular basis, he has his own experience-based beliefs, such as male cats being more outgoing than females. 'My perception itself, at this point, is a bias,' he laughs. Orange cat behavior—what we do know Even without a slam-dunk study connecting a cat's orange-ness to its personality, there are hints at a biological link. Remember the ARHGAP36 gene that provides orange coloration? Well, it's linked to the X-chromosome. This explains why orange cats are more likely to be male, the authors report in the study published in Current Biology. Female cats have two X chromosomes. And that means they must possess two copies of the gene in order to produce orange coloration. But males, which have XY chromosomes, need just one copy of ARHGAP36, to develop orange colorations. Perhaps this is the real answer to orange cat quirkiness: Siracusa tends to think that, in general, male cats are more outgoing. But, here's where things get interesting. As scientists learn more about genes and how they influence development, they have learned that any given gene is often linked with a variety of downstream traits. For instance, people with red hair have a variant of the melanocortin-1 receptor (MC1R) gene, which may also be linked to a higher tolerance of pain and reduced effectiveness of anesthesia. Now, in studies of humans and mice, the ARHGAP36 gene is expressed in the brain and hormonal glands. Even more interestingly, the cells that give fur or skin color, known as pigment cells, actually begin their development in the neural crest cells of an embryo. (Here's how your cat experiences the world) These cells can also 'differentiate into neurons and endocrine cells that produce catecholamines, which are known to control activity and excitability,' says Hiroyuki Sasaki, an emeritus professor and geneticist at Kyushu University in Japan, in an email. 'It thus seems possible that the DNA mutation in the gene could cause changes in temperaments and behaviors,' says Sasaki, who is senior author on the study. 'I should like to stress, however, that this is just a speculation.' Cats are individuals, too Even if there was some scientific underpinning for ginger cat behavior, the scientists stress, there would always likely be exceptions to the rules. 'This is what we see in the clinics every day,' says Siracusa, who says clients frequently tell him they selected a certain breed or color pet for its prescribed behavior. 'And then they have an animal that behaves in a completely opposite manner, and they are shocked,' he says. (How diverse personalities help animals survive) With nearly 74 million pet cats in the United States alone, you might wonder how it is that anything remains a mystery about the companion animals. But questions that are not linked to urgent human or animal health issues often go overlooked and underfunded, says Sasaki. 'Our world is still full of mystery, and there are so many unanswered questions around us, including those that may seem very simple,' says Sasaki.
