CATS: Who's in Control?

Image by Kevin via Flickr

I came across this study that wondered if cats trained their owners to respond to various meows.

The study gave microphones to cat owners to record the sounds their cat made when they were seeking food and when they were not. Then compared the sounds. These cats all made the same distinct manipulative 'purr-cry' sound when they wanted their owners to respond.

Previous studies have found similarities between a domestic cat's cry and the cry of a human baby - a sound that humans are highly sensitive to.

Cats learn to dramatically exaggerate this purr-embeded high-pitched cry when it proves effective in generating a response from humans. Now this doesn't work on all humans. But often develop in cats that have a one-on-one relationship with their owners rather than those living in large households.

So the next time your tend to your kitty when he starts to purr & cry.. remember.. he's got you trained.

The results were published in the July 14 issue of the journal Current Biology.