Face it, your cat does not care about you: Felines ‘not often assist’ their house owners – whereas canine have interaction with people like toddlers, research finds

They’re renowned for being aloof – and now it turns out your pet cat really won’t lift a paw if you need help.

A new study has revealed that while felines are happy to sit and watch you struggle, a dog will attempt to provide some assistance.

Researchers from Eötvös Loránd University in Hungary investigated how untrained pet dogs, pet cats and 16–24–month–old toddlers responded when a familiar person searched for a hidden object.

The majority of dogs and children displayed similar behaviour patterns, with more than three–quarters either indicating where the object was or retrieving it.

Cats, however, were much less likely to provide aid.

While they paid attention to the situation, they rarely helped – except when the hidden item was their favourite treat or toy, the researchers found.

‘This suggests that domestication, sharing our home, and forming close bonds are not sufficient to produce spontaneous, human–like helping behaviour,’ Márta Gácsi, senior author of the study, said.

The findings, published in the journal Animal Behaviour, are likely explained by the fact that cats ‘domesticated themselves’ and were never selectively bred for their cooperation, the scientists explained.

Analysis of the data showed that while up to 60 per cent of dogs and nearly half of children approached the objects to indicate where they were hidden, none of the cats did (as shown in figure a)

Pictures from the study with examples of (a) showing the hidden object, (b) manipulating the hidden object, (c) orienting at the caregiver and (d) approaching the hidden object

The researchers said they chose to compare children, cats and dogs for their study because they share similar environments but differ in their evolutionary backgrounds.

While dogs were selectively bred for their ability to cooperate with humans – like in herding or hunting – cats were never specifically chosen for their ability to be helpful.

This was reflected in the results. In their test scenario, the object was hidden in plain view of the child, dog or cat and the caregiver did not ask directly for help.

Analysis of the data showed that while up to 60 per cent of dogs and nearly half of children approached the objects to indicate where they were hidden, none of the cats did.

‘Cats were significantly less likely to show spontaneous object–related behaviours than dogs and children when it did not directly benefit them,’ the team wrote.

‘The fact that we did not find significant differences in children’s and dogs’ object–related behaviours suggests that, in certain contexts, dogs tend to spontaneously help their human caregivers to a similar degree as 16–24–month–old children, even in the absence of a direct reward.’

However, when the object hidden was a cat’s own toy or food, they approached it at a similar rate to dogs and children.

‘Cats only engaged when it benefitted themselves,’ the researchers said.

Depsite the findings, the study does not suggest that cats are ‘mean’, the researchers said (file image)

The findings do not suggest that cats are ‘mean’ the researchers added.

Rather, when there is no relevant reason to get involved, cats may choose to watch instead of act, reflecting their greater independence and lower reliance on humans compared with dogs.

A separate study, published last year, found that cats actually pay more attention to men than women.

Researchers have discovered that moggies are noticeably noisier when meowing at male owners compared to female ones.

This could be because men are generally less attentive and make less of a fuss over their pets, forcing cats to escalate their greetings to be noticed.

HOW WELL DO YOU KNOW YOUR CAT? THE 13 SECRET SIGNALS FELINES GIVE THEIR OWNERS

Cats are often branded aloof and solitary creatures who spend their days plotting their human owner’s demise, but such characterisations could not be further from the truth.

In fact, our feline friends constantly communicate their feelings of affection to us, whether it be through their whiskers, tail, face or body language.

In her eye-opening new book Kitty Language: An Illustrated Guide to Understanding Your Cat, author Lili Chin – with the help of animal behaviourists – explains how to interpret your pet’s movements.

Below are some of the most common behaviours and what they could signal.

Our feline friends constantly communicate their feelings of affection to us, whether it be through their whiskers, tail, face or body language