Picture this- it’s 2 a.m. and you wake up with a sudden thirst, your throat is dry and there is no source of water in your bedroom. Yawning, sleepy you go to the kitchen to quench your thirst. What do you find there? Your cat, playing with its toy. Seeing you, it runs away! Your cat has been acting strange since it got here. There is no reason for this- you feed it, play with it, take care of it but it doesn’t seem to like you. But all this for nothing. You repeat the same routine, thinking your cat does not care. Well, that is exactly what we will uncover in this post, because cats sure have different ways to express themselves.
To go beyond the world of cats and their physical activities,researchers from the University of Lincoln interviewed 3,994 cat owners. They asked about their interactions with their cats, and how their fuzzy pet interacted with them. The results were mixed and pretty interesting!
Animal behavioural specialist at the University of Lincoln, Professor Daniel Mills stated
“Cats form close emotional relationships with humans, yet little is actually known about this. As with any complex social relationship, the type of cat-owner bond is a product of the dynamic between both individuals involved, along with their certain personality features.”
The amount of time and effort spent together results in what type of relationship they will have. This also depends on a cat’s personality, for each cat has its own comfort zones and ways of expressions.
“While many cats may be aloof, it seems that this is not as common as might be portrayed. The wider sociability of the cat and owner expectations may be significant, and the owner’s level of emotional investment in the cat and the cat’s sociability appear to be particularly important in discriminating what type of relationship they have together.”
There are 5 main types of relationships you might have with your cat. Breaking them down, here are the main points.
Open relationship
Your cat doesn’t need cuddles and kisses to know they’re loved, nor do they give them. It is independent, and has some level of closeness.
Co-dependent relationship
Your cat is deeply invested in the emotional bonding between the two of you. You are like a family to them. It will seek your support when it is scared, and will not engage well with strangers. This is common to those who spend a lot of time playing with their cat.
Casual relationship
These cats love being outside! They are not bothered by your time apart; in fact, they might visit your neighbor’s porch for exploring.
Friendship
If you’re emotionally invested and play with your cat, and your cat is warm and friendly in return – you have a mutual relationship. Though it may not always follow you or your commands, and separation might not be problematic either.
Remote relationship
This type of behavior is seen when the owner doesn’t think of the cat as a family member or friend. The cat won’t seek the owner even when worried.
These are all easy to understand and categorise into! Which one does your relationship with your kitty fit in?
If you liked reading this, you will love: Look At These Legendary Movie Scenes, But With A Cat This Time!
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