Even Oscar?
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Study Finds (gasp) Cats Like Their Owners
- Thread starter weebeasties
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Well, Oscar may be an exception. Ginny certainly was, too. *For anyone who doesn't know, she was a sainted dog who rescued thousands of cats in her lifetime! as well as her caregiver.*
Dogs aren't THAT bad, they serve a purpose in certain situations... but cats are STILL superior, LOL.
Well, since this is The CAT Site... 
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It seems too that a lot of people expect the animal to do all the work when it comes to a bond. They won't take two minutes out of their day to give their cat a pat and get them playing with a toy or holding them, so the bond doesn't form. The cat becomes an adult, gets set in their own routine, and people piss and moan because they use this as "proof" that cats are snobby and don't care about their owners.I think the problem is that humans tend to think no other species on the planet (other than humans and their pet dogs) has any feelings or sense of attachment . Yet just this morning I saw an article about a diver and a fish who is attached to him who comes out to greet him and allows the diver to kiss it. We must stop thinking that we are the only beings on earth who can feel pain, fear, affection, etc., etc. (And by "we," I don't mean the users on this site! I know how much we care)
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- #47
Sorry to hijack my own thread, but since you mentioned a fish, it got me wondering...I think the problem is that humans tend to think no other species on the planet (other than humans and their pet dogs) has any feelings or sense of attachment . Yet just this morning I saw an article about a diver and a fish who is attached to him who comes out to greet him and allows the diver to kiss it. We must stop thinking that we are the only beings on earth who can feel pain, fear, affection, etc., etc. (And by "we," I don't mean the users on this site! I know how much we care
I always felt that animals that bond readily with humans are animals that in nature normally have a mommy that cares for them while they are young. That's the way that they learn what love is. But you mentioned a fish which I don't think is looked after by a mum, so what do you guys think? Do critters like fish, snakes, lizards, frogs, turtles, etc. actually form loving bonds with people? If they do, where does it come from? I mean it doesn't seem like they are hardwired by nature to be affectionate. Just curious.
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I suppose a pet fish or turtle like we have in our classroom might recognize who they're getting food from? Like good things happen when this person is around? Is it affection? I'm not sure, but it's a bond of a type I'd think.
A fish in an ocean I'm not sure about.
A fish in an ocean I'm not sure about.
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expressionless ?
I agree with
Lari
, I think.I've had a Betta fish, I never really could decide if it was cupboard love, or more ... ?
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What a perfectly sweet photo!
Leomc123
*Exactly!* That's a bigger, sweeter smile than ANY human's I've ever seen! What a sweet faced cat!!!
weebeasties
and
Lari
, well, those species are not mammalian, so they aren't wired the same way as we and other mammals are in terms of raising their young, but some are very, very social, so even if we don't recognize sameness, they do have attachments to one another. It would also depend, I would think, on the species and on the individual, just as it does in humans, some of whom are not social and not affectionate at all, and some of whom are. I haven't really noticed any definite affection in the goldfish and the cichlid in my life in the past, but I may just not have recognized it. I do know they were right up at the waterline in front of me when it was feeding time...
And in the Mojave there were two collared lizards whose territories were on either side of our garage door. They didn't exactly blow kisses, but they were around a lot. Slither, "our" resident Pine-Gopher snake, was amazing, and I cared a lot about this snake, but was never sure how (s)he felt about me.
With cats, though, there's never any doubt at all in my mind. I've shared life with many cats, and I ALWAYS know they love me.
That should be mandatory reading for every cat owner.
Entire books have been written about cat care, fixing problem cat behavior and cat interactions with humans. And not one of them contains 1/10th the information you crammed into that paragraph.
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Some fish do care for their young Linky This is instinctual behavior that helps a species to better succeed at reproduction in its particular niche.
"Love" between species is difficult to effectively define. The concept of "Bond" is scalable (meaning the term can be rated on some scale like 1 - 10) and "bond" is the more accurate term. That said, fish lack the sheer number of neural connections required to effectively create even the minimal definition of bond. Fish/reptile/amphibian behaviors that are often attributed to "bonds" are simply food/reward motivated. Fish/reptiles/amphibians do not bond with their caregivers.
As the number neural connections increase, social interactions generally become more complex (and more difficult to definitively assess) eventually reaching the point where bonding can occur. Cats are certianly capable of forming very strong (and measurable) bonds with humans. Depending on your perspective, there may effectively be no difference between a "very strong bond" and "love."
The act of caring for young in species with higher numbers of neural connections is instinctual behavior too. However, the greater number of neuronal connections allows for complex social interactions and subsequently: bonding.
The literature supporting this makes for some dry reading. This is a rapidly developing area of research that continues to surprise, and is continuously sensationalized by popular press.
In short: your cat loves you and wants to be near you. Your turtle knows you are the thing that drops food into the terrarium, and swims over to you to get the food faster.
Depends on your perspective, I guess,
bengalcatman
, as to whether it's "dry reading" or not. Personally, I find it deeply fascinating. 
You guys are hitting the nail on the head.
I find there is a dependency, a basic bonding and a real deeper bonding that can occur with your cats that nobody in this science driven world has never explained or incapable to explain. I have had a leopard that I only met a day before huffing and barking for me to come to her cage every time she saw me simply because we simply "shared" an experience (just a leaf blowing about that she saw and I brought it to her to sniff and see and we both prodded and poked it for about 10 minutes) but lots to explain why this occurred.
Should do a post where we can explore this deeper and exchange a few ideas and concepts.
Yes, I imagine feeding helps with the bond (he gives me great goodies to eat!) But, Theo will let me know when he wants to play. And he lets me know for sure that he is having fun playing with me. He is my companion. More than "just a cat". If someone doesn't like cats, that tells me a lot about the person.
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YES. I know one person who doesn't like cats, because he had no education about their wonderful qualities growing up, and his "dislike" centers around sharp claws, from his own explanation. He doesn't KNOW cats. I'm convinced that anyone with a heart will LOVE cats if (s)he gets to KNOW cats.
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Hey Arnold......Arnold........wake up buddy......wake up..........we have to bond.
The study says we have to bond so we can form an attachment.
Ok...latter......go back to sleep.
The study says we have to bond so we can form an attachment.
Ok...latter......go back to sleep.
