Gabriel Rojas, a veterinarian at the Ottovet veterinary clinic in Bogotá, mentions that cats can perceive the mood of their owners.
Photo: Francesco Ungaro on Unsplash – Francesco Ungaro on Unsplash
A study carried out at Oakland University, Michigan, by researchers Jennifer Vonk and Moriah Galvan, concluded that cats possess empathy and have the ability to recognize and perceive human emotions, and even respond to them. These experts in experimental, cognitive and behavioral psychology reached these conclusions after carrying out a series of tests and analyzing the visual and body language that felines use with their owners.
In their findings, they discovered that cats are able to detect when humans are happy, sad, nervous, stressed, excited, worried, distressed, depressed or angry. Likewise, they can perceive fear and determine whether we like or dislike a person, all thanks to the oxytocin we secrete, also known as the “love hormone.”
According to Expert Animal, “This chemical, along with changes in breathing rate and body tension, allows your pet to know whether or not it loves the person in front of it.”
Gabriel Rojas, a veterinarian at the Ottovet veterinary clinic in Bogotá, mentions that cats can perceive the mood of their owners, so they can detect when their owners radiate bad energy or stress. “If we break routines, or have some health impediment, they can begin to provide company so that their owners can feel better. “Cats can see the disruption of routine due to some illness,” the expert mentions.
In fact, Gabriel Rojas has had several feline patients who come to the office, hide, don’t want to eat, want to get under the bed, among other different attitudes. Once the context of the animals is investigated, it is discovered that a member of their human family is hospitalized, went on a trip, or there was a death, so the cats change their behavior because of it.
Currently, cats are increasingly popular, as they can accompany people in times of stress or illness. Although cats cannot diagnose diseases per se, They can detect subtle changes in the body that are often linked to health problems.
In addition, they notice variations in the behavior of those who care for them, who tend to show more subdued, weak and melancholic behavior when they are sick. Cats are sensitive to the affection and love they receive from their owners. Although at first they may be distrustful, with time and consistency in affection and daily interaction, they develop a deep bond with their people.
