To learn more about why we humans are so mesmerized by these adorable fluffy creatures, we reached out to Dr. Jo Lewis, an award-winning British feline expert vet and author of What’s My Cat Thinking? "I think for me personally, cats seem to connect with my soul," she told Bored Panda.
"It’s not all about how they look, although as a lifelong cat lover and feline expert vet, I naturally think all cats are visual masterpieces and the epitome of cuteness. But more importantly for me, it’s about their physical and spiritual presence in the home and how they interact with me and the world around them," she added.
Dr. Lewis recalls the moments "when they’re curled up with you and then they look into your eyes and either snuggle into an even tighter ball or reach out a soft paw to gently touch your face — having seemingly made a conscious choice to retract those killer claws and opt for tenderness."
When asked why do people find their appearance so alluring, she said that, to a degree, it’s about personal opinion and taste. But there’s also something far more chemical than that. "We feline scientists believe that pet cats share a lot of the same visually appealing features as infants of our own species."
It turns out that cats are the same size and weight as the average human newborn with compact little faces with big foreheads, button noses, and huge bright, forward-facing eyes. "Of course, both babies and cats are soft to the touch — fur (only ever of the faux kind of course!) must be a desirable tactile texture given its appeal across the fashion, interior design and cuddly toy industries."
The feline expert mentioned that we’re definitely affected by sweet animal features because they seem to awaken our primal instinct to nurture and protect in the way we would potentially care for our own offspring. "People get such pleasure from providing for their cat’s needs too," she added. "Whether it’s their 'cute' faces or appealing meows and purrs, spending time with cats can have a powerful impact on our stress levels."
"Science has shown that it even improves the carefulness and steadiness of our muscle control and movements (presumably to ensure we don’t drop that baby)." So Dr. Lewis believes it’s no surprise people with cats "often call them 'fur babies' and refer to themselves as a 'purrent', 'cat mom' or 'cat daddy'."
However, our affinity for cats is not all about visual 'cuteness'. "Both human infants and cats let us know when they need something by letting out audible, high-pitched cries (or meows) that research shows measure at a very similar frequency. Pet cats have even purrfected their vocal repertoire to the degree that it has a more endearing tone to the human ear than the calls of their wildcat ancestors. Once you deliver what a meowing cat is after, you’ve essentially rewarded them and hence trained them to do it again!"
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It wouldn’t surprise anyone to say that one of the biggest world’s mysteries is cat logic. Dr. Lewis has dedicated her career and life to helping people understand them, and told Bored Panda that felines "are usually trying to tell us something far more significant than 'hey, I’m so cute!'"
"We have to be careful we don’t misinterpret what are actually important clues about their health and wellbeing," she continued. "More often than not, behaviors that we label as 'cute' … are a clue to how they’re feeling in that moment. They might be hungry, but they may also have learned to enjoy the attention or food that you lavish on them when they do that particular 'cute' thing and simply want more of the same. But they might equally be signaling that you could be doing a lot more to better meet their needs."
We may perceive the cheeky or naughty cat behaviors as appealing, but in reality, they’re driven by a cat’s basic survival instincts, an illness, or side effects from medication, Dr. Lewis said. For example, when your beloved feline surfs your kitchen countertops for scraps, "she might have an artificially increased appetite from illnesses like an overactive thyroid, diabetes, or medications like steroids."
Sometimes, their behavior is not even about the food at all: "They might simply need some attention, the chance to interact with you more and this is the first opportunity that day when you’ve been home and sat in one spot." So if you assume they’re just acting cute, "you could be missing out on diagnosing and treating an illness, or be overlooking an opportunity to understand them better."
Dr. Lewis wanted to remind you, dear readers, that cats don’t care what they look like, how "cute" we think they are, or how many social media followers that brings them. "They just want to stay in optimal health and have the freedom to enjoy a natural life with us without suffering from pain, illness, or frustration."
