Feline Researcher Explains How Cats Emotionally Bond With Their Humans Much in the Same Way as Dogs Do

Wired host Arielle Pardes spoke with renowned feline researcher Kristyn Vitale of the Oregon State University’s Human-Animal Interaction Lab about the sociability of cats. Vitale explained that through her study, she was able to determine that cats bond with their human caregivers much in the way that dogs do with theirs. The expression of that bond differs as cats are fundamentally different than dogs, but the sense of safety and security with a trusted human is unchanged.

Cats are famously temperamental and are generally considered to be less loyal and social than dogs. But recent research suggests that cats actually have similar levels of attachment to their human caregivers as dogs and infants.