A study reveals that cats who prey on wildlife have particular psychological features.
Researchers discovered that pets whose owners described them as more extroverted or less neurotic were more willing to hunt.
Researchers stated that owners may employ personality-based tactics to minimize their cat’s drive to hunt without negatively affecting its enjoyment.
The team from the University of Exeter stated, “Hunting cats with higher ratings for extraversion or lower scores for neuroticism are most likely to gain from being motivated and encouraged in physical activity, and by opportunities to imitate natural feline behavior in the home environment.”
These activities may include toys that resemble prey, as well as feeding enrichment, such as hiding food or using puzzle feeders – devices that must be manipulated in various ways to release food – they explained.
Owners of extremely extraverted cats may view typical methods such as confinement as overly restrictive for their pet; therefore, if they knew they were adapting their approach to their cat’s individual needs, they may receive greater support.
In the peer-reviewed journal Applied Animal Behaviour Science, they wrote, ‘Management approaches to reduce predation that focuses on feline personality may bring benefits to cat welfare, reduce hunting motivation, and find greater support among cat owners, who express interest in effective “cat-friendly” measures to reduce predation upon wildlife.
162 cat owners answered a 48-item questionnaire regarding their cat’s personalities for the study.
The questionnaire examined the ‘Feline Five’ traits of neuroticism, extraversion, dominance, impulsiveness, and agreeableness, which are comparable to the ‘Big Five’ features measured in human psychology.
Neuroticism is characterized by characteristics such as insecurity, suspicion, and shyness; dominance indicates bullying and aggressive behavior toward other cats, and impulsive cats are erratic and irresponsible.
Being affectionate, sociable, and gentle with others are characteristics of agreeableness, whereas extraversion is characterized by high scores for characteristics such as being inquisitive, imaginative, and active.
The pets were classified as hunters if they returned at least one prey item to their house during the period of study.
The study follows recent findings that cats do indeed recognize their owners’ voices when they are spoken to directly.
Researchers from Université Paris Nanterre examined the responses of 16 cats to pre-recorded voices of their owner and a stranger speaking sentences addressed at cats or people.
They assessed the behavior of the cats in response to the sound, specifically looking for ear twitching, pupil dilation, and tail movement.
When hearing audio samples of a stranger’s voice calling their name, ten out of sixteen cats showed a reduced response, according to the findings.
However, when they heard their owner’s voice, their behavior intensity increased dramatically.
When hearing their owner’s voice, the cats exhibited behaviors such as moving their ears toward the speakers, increased activity throughout the room, and pupil dilation.
The quick behavior change suggests that cats can distinguish between their owner’s voice and that of a stranger, according to the authors.
