Cats are known as independent and sometimes even downright aloof animals. But the evidence that they really do need their owners is mounting.

The latest evidence for this can be found in the magazine Applied Animal Behavior Science. In the magazine, scientists show through experiments that cats are less anxious and stressed in the presence of their owner and that the same effect cannot be achieved by simply replacing the owner with an object that smells like the same owner.

Experiment

The researchers collected 42 adult cats and placed them in an environment unfamiliar to these cats. Sometimes they were there with their owner. Sometimes without. And sometimes in that unfamiliar environment there was only an object that smelled of their owner. The experiment found that cats showed much less stress-related behavior when their owners were around. An object that smelled like their owner did not appear to have that effect.

Surprising

“The latter was surprising,” says researcher Kristyn Vitale Scientias.nl. “In kittens, the smell of the mother and the smell of the litter reduce stress. And that’s why we also expected that the owner’s scent would also lead to less stress for cats. But that was not the case. In some cases, the cats were even more stressed when they were left in a room with an object that smelled of their owner than when they were all alone in that room. Only the actual presence of the owner was enough to take the stress out of the cat.”

Connected

According to Vitale, the research proves once again that cats also feel a connection with people. And that they feel safer and more comfortable in an unfamiliar environment when their owner is there.

Secure Base Effect

The latter is also referred to by researchers as the Secure Base Effect called. The term refers to a situation in which people or animals faced with stressful circumstances are less stressed and anxious when accompanied by someone they feel connected to. A good example of this is, for example, a small child who dares to explore a new space under the watchful eye of the parents, but does not do so in the absence of his parents. In this scenario, the parents are the ‘secure base’: the safe base from which the child dares to venture out. “Many cats are also able to use their owners as a ‘secure base’,” concludes Vitale. “And that means that the presence of the owner has an important stress-reducing effect, reassures the cat and helps to further explore an unfamiliar situation.”

Previous studies

The research shows that owners play a much more important role in their cat’s lives than they might think based on their cat’s behavior. This tentative conclusion is fully in line with other recent studies. “We’ve previously shown that most cats prefer social interaction with humans over other things, such as food and toys. And that cats have close bonds with their owners that are similar to those formed between children and their parents and dogs and their owners,” Vitale says. “And now we show in this new study that the presence of the owner can take stress away from the cat. It all points to cats needing humans.”

That conclusion will undoubtedly do cat owners good. But the study has more implications. “Many professionals who work with cats have accepted the idea that an object carrying the owner’s scent can reduce stress for a cat in unfamiliar environments, such as at the vet. There are even special products on the market for this. But our research shows that leaving an object that carries the owner’s scent doesn’t reduce stress and may even make cats more anxious. It just goes to show how important it is to adopt an evidence-based approach when it comes to cat welfare.”