Cats are excellent pets , and one of the favorite pets of many people.The benefits of having pets like this feline have been demonstrated by science, because according to some research, they help prevent allergies in children, avoid respiratory infections, improve mood and even increase self-esteem. In addition, cats are used in psychological therapy, known as cat therapy.

In fact, such is the popularity of cats that the relationship they establish with humans has been the subject of study on several occasions, sometimes with surprising results.

Of course, these animals are often known to be somewhat selfish and interested , especially when food is involved. Well, this idea we have of domestic cats seems to have been disproved. At least, according to a study that is echoed in this article.

Man’s relationship with cats throughout history

Since ancient times, human beings have always had a tendency to domesticate animals . Although historically we have always been surrounded by some species such as cows, sheep or horses (which served to cover some basic needs: food, clothing or even mobility…), other species such as cats or dogs, in more recent times, have had a closer relationship with their owners. Dogs, unlike cats, have been used for other purposes, for example, hunting or protection.

The origin of cats as a domesticated animal dates back to Egypt in 3000 BC , a culture in which they were considered divine beings, manifestations of the goddess Bastet. Such was the admiration and respect of the Egyptians for cats that history tells that they lost the famous battle against the Persians for not wanting to harm them.

In 526 BC, the expanding Persian Empire set its sights on Egypt. After crossing the Sinai desert, the Battle of Pelusium began. This war was named after the ancient city of Pelusium in Lower Egypt, located at the northeastern end of the Nile Delta. The Persians, aware of the importance that cats had for their enemies, used the cats as shields in a battle that was more like a slaughter. Because they did not want to hurt the cats, the Egyptians lost more than 50,000 men, while the Persians had only 7,000 casualties.

These cats love human affection

The relationship between cats and humans is still very much alive today, and many families have these animals in their home and consider them part of their family. It has always been believed that cats are somewhat independent and quite interested ; however, this belief is not entirely true.

This is what a group of scientists from the universities of Oregon and Monmouth in the United States, who used a sample of 50 cats for their research, say. Strangely enough, it turns out that cats prefer contact with people to other stimuli such as food, play or smells .

How the study was conducted

In order to evaluate the behaviour of the cats, the scientists divided the cats into two groups. One group consisted of domestic animals and the other of animals that lived in a shelter. Both groups were isolated for a period of two and a half hours, and then presented with the stimuli to know their preference.

The animals preferred interaction with humans to other stimuli in 65% of the cases, and food was the second preference of the cats . The researchers did not detect any significant differences between cats that came from a home and those that had been taken from a shelter. This seems to show that the cats value contact with humans more than we thought.

Did you know that cats dominate humans?

While the above result debunks some myths about cats, another study conducted in 2009 states that cats dominate their owners. This means that not only do they like to be with them, but they also do everything possible to keep them in check and have a considerable influence on their decisions.

The study was carried out by the University of Sussex (United Kingdom) and the results confirm that these animals have developed a mechanism to call for their owners’ attention that does not fail: a peculiar purr. And the fact is that if you have a cat as a pet, sometime you will have noticed his way of asking you for something. He passes under your leg and makes that “little noise”, or he looks for you when you are sleeping so that you get up and take care of him.

But the purr that gets your attention is something else. According to Karen McComb, a behavioral ecologist and director of this research, which was published in Current Biology magazine, “house cats purr differently to get our attention. In addition to the usual purr, they add a peculiar meow that has a higher frequency. This instrumental purring has an objective, and makes the owners to bring out their paternal instinct . Cats almost always get their way. In short, this purring is not as intrusive as the one they normally use, so humans tolerate and accept it better.

You can learn more about this study in this article: “Cats Dominate Their Owners, Study Reveals

Conclusion

Cats are one of the favourite pets of many people, but they have always enjoyed a certain bad reputation . We believe that cats are independent, that they often don’t value what we do for them and that they can even be cold. However, a recent study disproves these beliefs and states that cats prefer contact with humans to other stimuli such as food or play.

Another study also found that cats dominate humans and influence the behavior of their owners because they have developed a peculiar purr.