Studies repeatedly confirm that cats are more social than previously thought. An experiment shows that they are only hostile to certain people.
April 28, 2026, 04:50April 28, 2026, 04:50
Laura Helbig / t-online
Cats have a reputation for being stubborn and selfish. Unlike dogs, they only hear when they really want to. That doesn’t mean cats don’t like people – they just have a mind of their own and are difficult to train.
If you’re nice to them, they’ll be nice to you – most of the time. (symbol image)Image: keystone
Some people can’t stand cats because of this. But perhaps the animals know more than we do. According to a study, cats do not behave categorically negatively towards people – but only towards certain people.
If you give cats attention, you will get it
In the study, which was conducted by two animal behavior researchers from Oregon State University and published in the journal “Behavioral Processes,” the behavior of 46 cats was tested. 23 of the animals lived in the animal shelter, the other 23 had an owner.
One cat was placed in a room with a stranger. Participants were instructed to ignore the cat for two minutes. Then they were allowed to devote themselves to the animals – pet them, play with them, call their names. The scientists made the same observation with both pets and domestic cats: when they were shown more attention, they paid more attention.
Conversely, if the animals were ignored, they also ignored people. So if you don’t like cats because they don’t come for a cuddle or don’t pay attention to you, it could be your fault.
Cats are more social than you think
However, cats’ attention also has its limits. The experiment also showed that it was important to the animals to maintain control. The study says: “They are not fundamentally distant. But you want to have the choice.” So if the cat has had enough of the cuddles, you should let it go.
There are various studies that show that cats are more social than we previously thought. A study from 2017 showed that some cats even prefer interactions with people over food and toys.
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