Cat's True Nature: Unfamiliar or Unfamiliarable?

Let's take a look at an experiment conducted by animal researchers at the University of Oregon in the United States. They randomly selected 50 cats for the study. The cats were initially isolated from their owners, without food or toys, and left alone for a few hours. Then, the researchers presented the cats with their toys, food, and owners to see what they would choose. Despite the common belief that cats are highly independent, the results were astonishing. Over 50% of the cats chose their owners over the food and toys. Some might dismiss this 50% figure, but it actually suggests a strong bond between cats and humans. Could this prove that cats have a deep emotional connection with us?

The researchers had almost no expectation that the cats would choose their owners. Initially, they thought that after being alone for several hours, the cats would definitely opt for food or toys. However, they were surprised to find that half of the cats chose their owners instead! Even though cats are often seen as aloof, their hearts are indeed full of love for their owners.

Cats that are considered "unfamiliar" often have a history of being stray. If a young stray cat doesn't interact with humans before it's three months old, it may remain wary of people for the rest of its life. The level of familiarity also depends on the cat's personality and breed. Many people think that a "familiar" cat is one that responds warmly, like a dog, but this is a misconception about cats.

Cats can also express affection to their longterm feeders, but their body language is often overlooked by the owners, leading to the misconception that cats are not easy to tame.

Here are six ways your cat shows that it cares about you:

It licks you like a kitten nursing its mother. This behavior, which originated as a way for kittens to stimulate milk production, has evolved into a form of play and comfort. When your cat licks you, it's showing its love and willingness to reciprocate.

Your cat brings you all sorts of "gifts." If it brings you a small animal, it sees you as its kindred spirit. Perhaps it thinks you're too lazy to hunt, so it brings you its prey. This is a sign of deep love from a parent to a child.

Your cat rubs its head against you. By using its head or cheeks to rub against you, the cat is marking you with its scent, declaring, "This is my owner." This is a way to assert ownership, as finding a lifelong owner can be quite challenging!

Your cat shows its belly to you. The belly is the most vulnerable part of a cat, and most animals are not comfortable showing their weakest spot. When your cat shows its belly in your presence, it signifies its unconditional trust in you, feeling safe and comfortable in your company.

Your cat's tail is held high. If the tail is arched upwards with a small curl at the tip, and the cat wraps its tail around you, it's a sign that it wants to be affectionate with you.

Your cat follows you everywhere. Normally, cats are not very clingy, but if your cat follows you around constantly, even into the bathroom,恭喜你，它 really cares about you this slow and clumsy twolegged creature.

When a cat first arrives in a new home, it may be afraid of the unfamiliar environment and cautious, even aggressive. But as time goes on, you'll notice that the cat will gradually treat you as a family member, showing its trust by exposing its soft belly for you to pet, following you around, and even waiting for you behind the door when you come home from work. The cat may either come to greet you with a purr and a nuzzle or, perhaps, turn its back on you. It's possible that the cat has become familiar with someone else in the household, not necessarily the person who works hard to clean its litter box or prepare its meals. In any case, it's not the cat that's hard to get to know; it's the people who have a harder time understanding their pets.