Cats have been found to bond closely with their owners and to become distressed when separated. But can they experience jealousy? Here's what the research shows.
tested this question among 52 cats living in homes or cat cafes in Japan. Cats were required to have lived with their owner for at least 6 months.
To conduct the study, the researchers visited the home or cat café with a cat-shaped plush and a furry pillow of a similar color and texture. The cat-shaped plush represented a “social rival” whereas the furry pillow represented a non-social object. They then observed cats’ reactions when their owner or a stranger petted and talked to the cat plush versus the pillow for 15 seconds. Cats were gently restrained during the petting session to make sure they watched the petting.
Results indicated that during the petting session, cats focused more on objects that their owners petted regardless of their shape. However, after the petting session, cats in their homes looked at the stuffed cat for longer after the owner petted it. There was no difference in how much time they spent looking at the stuffed cat vs. the furry pillow when the stranger petted it.
Given that cats did not show distress, future research should replicate the study using real cats as social rivalsIn conclusion, cats clearly form a connection with their owners. Regardless of the object, they attended more to their owner’s actions than the stranger’s actions. But do they experience jealousy? Cats in the homes did show some semblance of jealousy given their focus on the cat plushies after their owners petted them.
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