Curious cat? Scientists identify 7 feline behavioral, personality traits
The researchers studied the behaviors of over 4,300 different cats, spanning 26 different breeds.
Cats can recover from COVID-19 faster than humans. What is their secret? (photo credit: AARON REICH)
There's more than meets the eye to the personalities of our feline friends.
Cats,
more so than dogs, are often considered by many as having more
mysterious behavioral patterns and being less emotionally expressive.
But a new study from the University of Helsinki has deciphered the
enigmatic patterns of domestic cats, finding seven distinct personality
and behavioral traits.
The
researchers studied the behaviors of over 4,300 different cats,
spanning 26 different breeds, and found the following traits, which the
cats display regularly.
– Activity/playfulness
– Fearfulness
– Aggression towards humans
– Sociability towards humans
– Sociability towards cats
– Litterbox issues
– Excessive grooming
Identifying
these traits is especially important, as, despite the popularity of
cats as pets, their behavioral and personality traits are far less
understood compared to dogs.
This can be important, as it can make
identifying problems a lot more difficult.
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“Compared to dogs, less is known about the behavior and personality
of cats, and there is demand for identifying related problems and risk
factors. We need more understanding and tools to weed out problematic
behavior and improve cat welfare,” University of Helsinki and the
Folkhälsan Research Center doctoral researcher Salla Mikkola said in a statement.
“The most common behavioral challenges associated with cats relate to aggression and inappropriate elimination.”
Israeli rescue cat Dwight K. Schrute is seen at her home in Ra'anana. (credit: ELISHEVA JACOBSON)
The findings of the study, published in the academic journal Animals
and which is the most extensive study of its kind thus far, could help
identify genetic, environmental and personality factors that influence
problematic behavior from one's cat.
And
genetic factors may play a bigger role than some would think. The study
noted that some traits were more common than others based on breed.
“The
most fearful breed was the Russian Blue, while the Abyssinian was the
least fearful,” said University of Helsinki and the Folkhälsan Research
Center Prof. Hannes Lohi.
“The
Bengal was the most active breed, while the Persian and Exotic were the
most passive. The breeds exhibiting the most excessive grooming were
the Siamese and Balinese, while the Turkish Van breed scored
considerably higher in aggression towards humans and lower in
sociability towards cats.”
More
complex studies are needed to better examine these personality traits,
and the influence of other factors such as age, gender and overall
health.
Cats are one of the most popular pets of choice worldwide and are beloved in all corners of the globe.
In Israel, the cat population
is especially high, with estimates placing the number of cats on the
street alone at over two million. However, many of these feral cats
live in poor conditions, part of the reason for which could be a lack of
understanding of their behavior, which many find harder to understand
than dogs.
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