Move over dog lovers, there’s a new cat in town! Every cat lover out there knows that their cat is an amazing, independent soul who steals their heart and inanimate objects regularly. But what does science say about your cat? We wanted to know, so we dug into the topic a bit more, and here are the results.
Cats Like You More Than Food
A study that was conducted at Oregon State University found that cats enjoy humans more than they do food. About 50 cats were denied any human interaction, food, and toys for a certain time and then slowly introduced to each again. During this time, half of the cats preferred human interaction over their food and toy options.
They’re Independent
During studies that have tested whether cats are more independent than dogs, cats win every time! While studies show that your cat likes you more than food, they don’t need you. When you put a dog in a new environment they may cling to their owner for support whereas a cat will wander around more often than a dog, showing that it enjoys its human companion but doesn’t need them.
Bonus for Single Men
Studies have shown that single females tend to see more in a man who has a feline companion. This connection of single men with their cats was proven to be more attractive than a man with a dog. A survey taken in the UK cited that 90% of women think that a man who owns a cat is nicer than a man who just owns a dog.
Mirrors Human Bond
Another study conducted at the University of Vienna found that the bond between a human and their feline companion mirrors the relationship of human to human contact. Cats learn quickly how to manipulate their owner to get their way all the while mimicking their human owner’s behavior. This study also found that cats tend to adapt their personalities based on their owner.
Higher Intelligence
Not only do cats rank higher in intelligence tests, but their owners tend to be more intelligent too. While dog owners seem more active and outgoing, the cat and their owner are more intellectual. One study completed in 2010 found that cat owners are more likely to have a degree than dog owners. This makes sense since cats are more independent, so a career person is more likely to have an independent pet.
At the end of the day, we all love our cats but it was rather interesting to learn that our beloved feline companions don’t actually need us and are rather intelligent when compared to their nemesis, the dog.