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Cats Meow More at Men: Study Reveals Feline Preference
3 Dec
Summary
- Cats vocalize more frequently when greeting male owners compared to female ones.
- Researchers found cats produced 4.3 meows on average for men versus 1.8 for women.
- Food motivation was not the primary driver for cats approaching owners.
New research from Ankara University in Turkey suggests that cats may actually prefer interacting with men, contradicting the popular 'crazy cat lady' stereotype. The study, which involved analyzing hundreds of video clips of cats greeting their owners, found that felines vocalized significantly more when interacting with male caregivers. Cats produced an average of 4.3 meows within the first 100 seconds of greeting men, versus just 1.8 meows when greeting women.
The researchers theorize that this difference in vocalization may stem from men being generally less attentive to their pets. This potential lack of constant engagement could compel cats to use more explicit and frequent vocal behaviors to ensure their needs are noticed and met. Conversely, women are known to be more verbally interactive with pets and better at interpreting feline communication, potentially requiring less direct vocal signaling from their cats.
Furthermore, the study debunked the notion that cats only approach owners for food. Analysis showed that food motivation was not a primary driver. Instead, the findings suggest that cats genuinely welcome their owners home, engaging in behaviors like tail-raising and scent-marking as genuine expressions of happiness and relief upon their return, adapting their communication based on owner interaction.
