One in 4 cat homeowners see their pet as like their little one, researchers have discovered.

A examine from scientists within the Netherlands is shedding gentle on the methods cat homeowners undertaking human traits onto their feline associates. Revealed within the Worldwide Journal of Environmental Analysis and Public Well being, confirmed that most of the 1,800 cat homeowners included anthropomorphized their pets by assigning them roles that mirror human relationships.

For instance, 27 p.c of cat homeowners concerned within the examine selected the connection description "my cat is sort of a little one to me" from a collection of responses. Equally, half of cat homeowners within the examine (52 p.c) described their cats as "a part of the household."

Examine co-author Esther M.C. Bouma, from the College of Groningen, advised Newsweek there have been each advantages and potential draw backs to cat homeowners projecting human relationships onto their pets on this manner.

"House owners who understand their cat as a small human may misread their cat's (refined) behaviours and exaggerate their social talents. Attribution of social expertise like 'perceptive,' 'empathetic' and 'thoughtful' makes it doable for animals to be a supply of companionship and social help," she stated.

"However as descendants of solitary hunters, the social expertise of cats may be much less advanced than in group-living animals reminiscent of people and canine, for whom social expertise are mandatory for survival. Taking a look at a cat from a human perspective may end up in a miss-match between the necessity of the proprietor and the necessity of the cat."

The examine additionally discovered the intimacy of an proprietor's relationship with their cat might impression on how the animals have been handled.

For instance, those that see cats as a "member of the household" have been anticipated to permit higher unrestricted entry to the outside.

In distinction, the 27 p.c of homeowners who thought-about their cats as being "like a baby" have been anticipated to limit entry to the outside as a result of they felt "the cat relies on the proprietor for care and safety," the examine stated.

Bouma stated she hopes the examine will encourage cat homeowners to assume extra deeply on their pet's social wants and the function their very own perceptions about cats might play. "We hope that our outcomes make homeowners extra acutely aware about their very own (social) wants and the way these affect the residing atmosphere and wellbeing of their cats," she stated.

"House owners who wish to defend their cats from outdoors risks must be conscious that the welfare of their cats may be compromised when the indoor atmosphere is suboptimal."

cat in stroller
Inventory photograph of a cat in a stroller. Researchers within the Netherlands have discovered over one in 4 cat homeowners see their pet as a baby. Getty Photos