Moggies remain a mystery to many, survey suggests
02 August 2013
A survey of 1,100 cat owners by Cats Protection shows that many people are failing to understand the ‘language’ of cats, with a distinctive lack of Dr Dolittles amongst us.
The charity found a worrying lack of knowledge in certain areas which has prompted the launch of an initiative to educate the nation about cat behaviour.
In particular, the survey revealed that:
- Two thirds (65 per cent) of us think a cat only purrs when happy whereas it sometimes can occur when it is in pain.
- The majority of people (76 per cent) failed to understand a cat’s upright tail is a greeting.
- One in 20 conclude that a cat rubs its cheeks on surfaces because it has an ‘itchy face’ rather than actually marking a territory.
“These findings show that some cat owners can struggle to understand certain behaviours,” said Jacky Eyres, Branch Co-ordinator. “We realise that cats are complex creatures so we would like to offer support and advice to people in order to improve their relationship with their pets.”
The study also highlighted how owners can struggle to follow signs that their cat is unhappy. More than a third (38%) didn’t realise a cat with flattened ears means it is scared and needs somewhere to hide. Also worrying is 49% of us are unable to identify that a cat licking its lips can be an indication of stress.
Find out more about understanding your cat with our insightful guide: http://learnonline.cats.org.uk/content/ufo/index.html