The Feline Phenomenon: Understanding Cats
Is the concept of the crazy cat lady fact or fiction?
By Holly Miles
According to research undertaken late last year in Canada, women could find more of an affinity to cats than men. The study took place at the University of Guelph in Ontario and measured the relationship between the feline and the female through a series of tests. The study included participants from 85 countries worldwide, who were required to watch a sequence of short videos and complete questionnaires rating the cats from positive to negative emotions and even pinpointing the exact emotions they were thought to be experiencing.
Surprisingly the number of people who excelled at this task were relatively few. Only 13% of those surveyed were able to understand the cats expressions in a way that was deemed “very good” by the standards of the research. Those participants were seen to support the idea of innate “cat whispering ability”. The 13% that scored highly in the study were more likely to be: young adults, women and veterinary technicians or veterinarians. These results hardly prove surprising given the understanding required in this particular occupation and previous data that has shown a strong bias towards women’s empathy and understanding over men of humans and dogs too. Despite this, the study also found that a bias towards cats shown by cat owners did not make them any more likely to understand the emotions that the cats were portraying.
Thus, the stereotype of the crazy cat lady rings true in the sense of their affinity to understand the breed. Nevertheless, data from the University of California in 2019 disproved any link between cat ownership and psychosis. Those with reported feline ownership showed similar levels of mental wellbeing as those who did not own cats. Of the 561 participants surveyed, many mentioned that their feline friends actually assisted them more in their periods of poor mental health as purported in numerous past research studies. In fact, according to the majority of studies, cat ownership can have numerous positive physical and mental side-effects.
The reason for the crazy cat lady stereotype may be due to in part due to the tendency for single women to own cats. Surprisingly, an Austrian study found that the relationship that one can have with their cat could be as significant as human romantic relationships. This can therefore satisfy a base-level human requirement for companionship. A study by the Mayo Clinic Centre for Sleep Medicine showed that over 41% of owners slept better with a feline by their side. Maybe it’s time to order that King Size, so you’re not kicked out of the bed by your lazy companion (who can sleep a whopping 20 hours a day). It has also been noted that our finicky feline friends have learnt to mimic the sounds of human baby cries in order to attract attention from humans. Significantly cats only use this particular cry with humans and hardly ever use vocal sounds when communicating with one and other. Since the human brain is wired to respond to a baby’s distress call, it makes their demands even more irresistible.
Remarkably, the effects of pet ownership can also prove to be significantly physical. Information released by the National Institute of Health has shown that children exposed to cats at under one year old were less likely to go on to develop any allergies later in life. And with fears of toxoplasma that have run rife surrounding young children and cats, another study has proven that exposure to toxoplasma in cat faeces could prompt your body to produce a substance that inhibits the sensation of fear and anxiety. Links to healthier heart patterns have also been correlated with cat ownership. A study in the journal of Vascular and Interventional Neurology stated that; “a decreased risk for death due to …all cardiovascular diseases…was observed amongst persons with cats.”. Research has previously shown that a cat’s purr is known to vibrate their body at a frequency that has been used in many muscular and osteo-reparative procedures. So, the next time your fur baby snuggles up alongside you with the purring intensity of a small washing-machine or lawnmower, think again! Your little friend could literally be trying to heal you.
In conclusion, next time your superstition leads you to underestimate the magic-like powers of the feline species, maybe you ought to reconsider. The stereotype of cats being cold and distant or associated with the devil is long outdated. It’s time we began appreciating this under-appreciated species for all of their hidden talents and embracing the honorific title of “Crazy Cat Lady” once and for all.
