Cats actually like people - study

  • 28/03/2017
Cat survey reveals they prefer human companionship over food
Half of the surveyed cats chose human companionship over food (Getty)

A new study has busted the myth that cats are completely independent and untameable, with results showing felines have a soft spot for human interaction.

Fifty cats surveyed by Oregon State University were deprived of human attention, food, scent and toys for a number of hours and then initially re-introduced to them one by one and their time of engagement tracked. 

Researchers then flooded the cats with all four stimuli, and made them choose their favourite. Half of the furry friends chose human companionship. 

The runner-up was food, with 37 percent of fluffy respondents picking meals over mates. 

"While it has been suggested that cat sociality exists on a continuum, perhaps skewed toward independency, we have found that 50 percent of cats tested preferred interaction with the social stimulus," researchers say. 

Scientist say the intel they've gathered could be used to train cats, now they know it might not be treats the felines are after. 

Newshub.