Why do humans love cats?

When people say they love cats, that love can be intense. For many, a feline friend is a singularly trustworthy confidant and a comforting presence in times of loneliness.

Are such close relationships, however, healthy on a psychological or physical level?

Geneticists, infectious disease experts, psychologists, and others have put forward several theories as to why cats resonate so strongly with some people, and what effect felines may have on their humans’ health.

According to DNA analyses, the ancestor of today’s domestic cat was the African wildcat, Felis silvestris lybica, living in the Fertile Crescent, the intersection of ancient Mesopotamia, Egypt, the Levant, and Persia.

Some research suggests that our connection with felines began about 9,500 years ago, with the earliest evidence of a mutual relationship between cats identified on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus.

Egyptians famously believed that their feline companions embodied divine energy.

Dr. Eva-Maria Geigl is research director at the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), and heads the Epigenomics and Paleogenomics group at the Institut Jacques Monod in Paris, France. She told Medical News Today: “Cats were domesticated as commensals: They approached human settlements because there was food — concentrated rodents thriving on grain accumulations. They adapted to this specific human environment, which represented an evolutionary advantage for them. Humans had a real interest to have cats around. They were just happy with the cats feasting on the rodents that destroyed their cereals.”

One study found that there were at least 13 feline genes that signaled cats’ transition “from feral to friendly.” The genes relate to cognition and behavior, and may have strengthened felines’ ability to learn based on food rewards, and to feel less fearful of people.

According to a studyTrusted Source on which Dr. Geigl was the principal investigator, cats likely followed Neolithic farmers around as they moved from area to area. Their widespread dispersal occurred during the Classical period (1775-1825).

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) estimateTrusted Source that there are about 85 million cats living in the US There are also about 70 million unowned wild and feral cats in America.

Dr. Patricia Pendry of Washington State University studies human-animal interactions. She has published research describing the especially strong bond between highly emotional people and their cats.

Dr. Pendry speculated to MNT that felines’ discriminating behavior may be irresistible to humans: “The subtle and somewhat unpredictable responses cats give us, give us the perception that we are chosen — or perceived as ‘special’ when a response from a cat does occur. I also believe that because the response tends to take a little bit more time to emerge, we are captivated by a desire to know what the cat will do.”

“And because the nature and timing of their actions are less predictable, we may remain captivated, almost in an addictive kind of way — you can’t rip yourself away because that purr, that special rub may be just around the corner,” said Dr. Pendry.

MNT