Cats Archives - Science Primary Literature

Cat attachment and effect on human health

Does cat attachment have an effect on human health? A comparison between owners and volunteers

August 28, 2025 engeladmin Featured Database

Author: Dinis, Filipa A. B. S. G.; Martins, Thais Lima Fernandes Description: Cat owners and volunteers from a rehoming centre were given the Lexington Attachment to Pet Scale (LAPS) questionnaire to assess their level of attachment to their own or rescue cats. In addition, heart rate and blood pressure were measured 10 minutes before, during, and after spending time with the cats. Consistent with other studies, the results here show that spending time with a cat can reduce heart rate and both systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and that this…

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Cat-human activities related to human well-being

Cat-human related activities associated with human well-being

August 28, 2025 engeladmin Featured Database

Author: Ravenscroft, Samantha J.; Barcelos, Ana Maria; Mills, Daniel S. Description: Besides inconsistent evidence relating to the mental health benefits of pet ownership, there is a specific lack of data in relation to cat ownership. Research in this field frequently fails to consider the effect of specific cat-human relationships or activities that might impact owner well-being. This study aimed to identify and address this gap by examining the activities associated with owning a cat that were perceived by owners to impact on their well-being. Twenty cat owners (18 to 74…

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Visual Attention Patterns Differ in Dog vs. Cat Interactions With Children With Typical Development or Autism Spectrum Disorders

August 28, 2025 engeladmin Featured Database

Author: Grandgeorge, Marine; Gautier, Yentl; Bourreau, Yannig; Mossu, Heloise; Hausberger, Martine Description: Visual social attention is an important part of the social life of many species, including humans, but its patterning may vary between species. Studies on human-pet relationships have revealed that visual attention is also part of such interspecific interactions and that pets are sensitive to the human visual attentional state. It has been argued that domestication and/or repeated experiences with humans have shaped and refined these decoding abilities. Little is known on how the species’ evolutionary history may…

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Experiences of parents of autistic children who adopted a cat

August 28, 2025 engeladmin Featured Database

Author: Carlisle, Gretchen K.; Lamontagne, Angelique; Bibbo, Jessica; Johnson, Rebecca A.; Lyons, Leslie A. Description: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by impaired social interaction and communication. Autistic children suffer from social cognitive difficulties. There is no specific treatment for ASD, but ongoing individualized care can lead to an improvement in symptoms. Adopting a pet into a family with an autistic child is increasingly recognized as beneficial for improving some of the child’s social skills. Cats are the second most common pet in the homes of autistic…

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Effects of the characteristic temperament of cats on the emotions and hemodynamic responses of humans

August 28, 2025 engeladmin Featured Database

Author: Nagasawa, Takumi; Ohta, Mitsuaki; Uchiyama, Hidehiko Description: Cats positive effects on their owners’ physiological and psychological health, including improved mood and activation of the human prefrontal cortex and inferior frontal gyrus in the brain. However, the association between the health benefits provided by cat ownership and the characteristic behaviors and reactions of cats is unclear. We recruited 29 participants to measure human prefrontal cortex activity, using functional near-infrared spectroscopy, during interactions with a cat. After the experiments, participants subjectively responded to a questionnaire regarding success rates for interactions with…

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