Did you know that cats can adopt the habits of their owners? Here’s what your cat tells about you

Research has discovered that cats can indeed become part of the human family. So much so that in many cases they pick up the habits of their owners. This suggests not only that after a certain period of time they start to adapt to people's way of life, but also that they can even take on bad traits from their owners.

A study has shown that although genetics can explain many aspects of cat personality development, there are still elements of it that it absolutely does not explained. Thus, the scientists concluded that while genetics helps explain certain aspects of personality and behaviour, the individual’s environment is clearly a significant factor.

Can the personality of a cat change under the influence of its owner?

Giuseppe Piccione and his colleagues at the University of Messina’s Faculty of Veterinary Medicine have studies cats from different backgrounds. Their results clearly showed that human presence and care have a strong influence on the activity of the cats.

During the preparation of the study, published in the Journal of Veterinary Behavior, the researchers looked at two groups of cats. Both groups received excellent care in terms of food, medical care and grooming. The owners of all the individuals worked during the day and returned home in the evening. However, the first group of cats lived in smaller homes and stayed closer to their owners. The second group preferred an indoor/outdoor lifestyle in larger properties. These cats were also kept outside at night. The researchers noticed that the first group of cats started to show the characteristics of their owners in terms of their eating, activity and sleeping habits. However, the cats left outside overnight proved to be much wilder and more stubborn.

Are they learning from us?

According to Jane Brunt, DVM and Executive Director of the CATalyst Council, cats have excellent memories and learn a lot from their owners’ behaviour. They can remember patterns of behaviour from the very basic. Like where to store their food, to the more complex, such as adopting a biorhythm. Piccione pointed out that the feeding time of cats is maximally correlated with that of their owners, which may explain why obesity rates in humans and cats are so often the same. Cats may even match their owners in their defecation habits. Indeed, research has even shown that cats can use the litter box at the same time as their owners use the toilet.

They also have the same personality

A study, published in Applied Animal Behavior Science, looked beyond habits to  study the personality of cats. The research focused on the primary traits of arrogant, social, shy, trusting, aggressive, calm, agitated, dominant and curious in both owners and cats. Marieke Cassia Gartner and Alexander Weiss, researchers at the University of Edinburgh, believe that the environment is a major determinant of the personality traits. In fact, cats have an interesting way of looking up to their owners. Because of this it’s no wonder that they adopt their behaviour patterns.

Cats socialise primarily with humans

Brunt put it bluntly that studies have shown that they are social animals, with humans being their main social group. It’s important for owners to understand that they are role models for their pets. They are someone they look up to and look to for support.