One-Quarter of Cat Owners View Their Pet As a Child

• Author: Monica Jackson
• Posted: 2024-08-19

In a new study published by Dutch scientists, one out of four cat owners sees their pet as a child. The study, published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health in early January 2022, demonstrated that 25% of the 1,800 cat owners surveyed assigned roles to their cats that were similar to human relationships. This anthropomorphization has pros and cons to pet owners.

How Cat Owners Describe Their Relationships With Their Pets

In the survey of cat owners, 27% described their relationship with their pet as like a parent with a child. Another 52% of cat owners described their pets as a part of the family. About 23% of cat owners described their relationships as owners, with the cat not taking on characteristics of a child or family member. However, they did describe their pet as a member of the household.

How Being Described As a Member of the Family Affects Cats

Overall, cats benefit when their owners see them as a part of the family or as their child. For example, when cats are seen as a member of the family, they have greater access to the outdoors. For cats, this allows them to express their natural behaviors, such as sharpening their claws in a tree trunk and getting plenty of sunshine. However, access to outdoor areas without fencing could put a cat at risk of getting hit by a car, being attacked by another animal, ingesting poison or otherwise experiencing harm.

How Being Described As a Child Affects Cats

The 27% of cat owners who see their pets as a child restricted their cats' access to the outdoors. Owners restricted the cats' access to the outdoors because they see their pets as dependent on them for care and protection. The study did not ask about whether the cats had been declawed, microchipped or given a collar with identification tags. The study also did not ask about the cats' vaccination status or whether or not they were given access to fenced versus unfenced areas of the outdoors.

Benefits for Owners When Cats Are Viewed As Family Members

One of the study's co-authors, Esther M.C. Bouma, explained to journalists that there are both benefits and drawbacks to cat owners assigning human relationships to their pets. When an owner sees their cat as a small human, they derive social support, companionship and a sense of purpose from the relationship. People with pets tend to have lower blood pressure, less depression and anxiety and a longer lifespan than those who do not have pets.

Drawbacks of Seeing Cats As Family Members

Dr. Bouma, who teaches at the University of Groningen, also stated that there are drawbacks of cat owners assigning human-like relationships to their pets. Owners might be exaggerating their cats' social skills. In reality, cats are the descendants of solitary animals who hunt by themselves. Cats are only social when raising their kittens; after weaning, the juveniles go out on their own. Humans have not done a good job of domesticating cats compared to how they have domesticated dogs. A dog seeks out human attention and uses those social skills for survival. Cats can survive without much human help. Viewing a cat as a person may cause a poor match between the cat's needs and the owner's needs. On the other hand, cats seen as members of the family may be treated better. They are more likely to be taken to the vet for preventive care, such as vaccinations and dental exams. They are also more likely to be given a nutritious diet and groomed regularly.

What the Study Results Mean

Dr. Bouma hopes that this study on cat and human relationships will prompt owners to consider their cat's social needs and their treatment of their cats. Dr. Bouma also hopes that the study's results will encourage cat owners to be more thoughtful about their own social needs and how their needs influence the health of their cats. When owners are overzealous about protecting their cats from the outdoors, they need to make sure the cats' indoor environment offers plenty of space for cats to exercise. Cats should also have a separate litter area from the eating area. Cats allowed to go outdoors should be given access to a fenced, safe area where they are protected from vehicular traffic, other animals and potential poisons, such as antifreeze and pesticides.