Source : Perth Now news
Cats may have a reputation for being independent, but new research suggests their famous meows could actually be a carefully targeted attempt to get what they want from their owners.
Scientists found that cats meowed significantly more often when their humans were nearby while they were trying to reach an inaccessible food reward.
The researchers from the University of Sao Paulo in Brazil set out to investigate the “audience effect” in cats, examining whether their behaviour changed depending on whether a person was present.
They observed 38 cats in their homes after placing their favourite food inside a box they could not open.
The animals were watched for around a minute both with and without their owners present.
The results showed the cats produced significantly more meows when their owners were there.
They also frequently stood still and looked directly towards their humans while meowing.
When their owners were absent, the cats were more likely to stare silently at the door.
The researchers explained: “A signal is considered socially communicative, rather than simply a reflection of a motivational or emotional state, when it is influenced by the presence of other individuals – the so–called audience effect.
“In contrast, motivational or emotional responses are primarily linked to internal states and do not necessarily vary with audience presence.”
The team said the findings were consistent with cats using meowing as a socially directed signal designed to communicate with humans.
The experts explained: “[This] is consistent with meowing functioning as a socially directed signal rather than a purely motivational response.”
They concluded: “These findings are consistent with meowing functioning as a communicative signal rather than just an expression of internal motivation or emotion.”
The findings suggest that while owners may interpret a cat’s meow as affection, the animal could instead be attempting to communicate a need or persuade its human to do something.
The study comes after separate research suggested cats may not be particularly skilled at interpreting the emotional tone of human voices.
Although cats can react to human vocalisations, researchers found no evidence that they distinguish between different emotions in voices in the same way some other domesticated animals can.
