If I told you that cats hate you more than dogs do, chances are you wouldn’t be surprised at this information. It isn’t exactly groundbreaking, after all, but turns out there is now proper research to back the idea that our pet cats are getting real fkn sick of us in lockdown.
A brand new study has been conducted by Doctor Jessica Oliva from North Queensland’s James Cook University that looks into how cats and dogs cope in lockdown. Turns out cats can’t fkn stand having us around all the time, and dogs absolutely love the company.
The study examined 400 people via surveys who lived alone with pets during periods of lockdown, asking them questions about pet ownership and whether their pets’ behaviours had shifted or not.
It also looked at how pet owners’ moods shifted based on whether they had a dog or a cat.
“Our pets usually live in luxurious conditions, they have a warm bed, they have toys for entertainment, jackets for winter,” Oliva told the ABC.
“But they do lack certain freedoms that we lost during the lockdown — freedom to come and go as they please, freedom to socialise, exercise is restricted to one hour a day.”
According to Oliva’s findings, almost all dog owners reported a decreased feeling of loneliness, while 50% of cat owners felt more isolated and neglected by their feline companions.
Cats are savage creatures, what can I say?
“A dog was an excuse to go outside and exercise and provided that routine, and also that doing so afforded an opportunity to socialise with other people doing the same thing.
“We don’t see it in cat owners.”
“We got some responses that the cats were put out with their owners being home all the time and invading their space.
“About 50 per cent of cat owners reported that their cats were behaving in ways that were interpreted as being ‘put out’ by their owners all the time.
“Whereas almost 100 per cent of dog owners reported that their dogs were just loving the fact that they were home all the time.”
So, if you feel like your cat is growing cold towards you, it’s because they’re fkn sick of seeing you around all the time. Lockdown isn’t just tough on humans.
Dog owners, enjoy the affection of your pups, you’ve earned it by picking the superior pet.
