People, food, toys or scent – what do cats pick?
Cats don’t just see us as food dispensers: for many, attention rivals – or beats – a snack.
Takeaway
Given a free choice, most cats picked human interaction – with food a close second.
What the study did
- Oregon State University researchers tested 25 pet and 25 shelter cats, after 2.5 hours without access to people, food, toys and scents.
- They first found each cat’s favourite in each category, then offered the four favourites side by side.
- Of the 38 cats analysed, 19 preferred social interaction, 14 food, 4 toys and 1 scent.
- The difference between social interaction and food was not statistically significant – they were roughly tied.
The numbers
Show data table
| Group | Value (cats) |
|---|---|
| Social interaction | 19 |
| Food | 14 |
| Toys | 4 |
| Scent | 1 |
Data source: Vitale Shreve, Mehrkam & Udell 2017, Behav Processes 141:322–328, section 3.3 and Fig. 3 description (N = 38 pet + shelter cats). Social vs food difference not significant (p = 0.35, same section).
Limitations
Small sample with big individual differences; it doesn’t show cats prefer people over food in general.
Citation
Vitale Shreve KR, Mehrkam LR, Udell MA (2017). Social interaction, food, scent or toys? A formal assessment of domestic pet and shelter cat (Felis silvestris catus) preferences. Behavioural Processes. DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2017.03.016
For general information only; it does not replace advice from your vet.
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