May 2016 PMID 26332470

Domestic Cats (Felis silvestris catus) Do Not Show Signs of Secure Attachment to Their Owners.

Alice Potter, Daniel Simon Mills

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Mentions

21
Peak: 5 in Jul 2021
across 6 sources since Jun 2018

Extended reach

32,922
potential audience

Total likes

60

Video views

4,653

Mentions per month

Jun 2018 – Oct 2025

Where it's discussed

  • X / Twitter9 posts
  • News6 articles
  • YouTube2 videos
  • Facebook2 posts
  • Bluesky1 posts
  • Reddit1 posts

AI synopsis

What people are saying

The collection of discussions reflects a mix of curiosity and skepticism, as seen in comments questioning whether cats care about their owners and sharing personal anecdotes, such as adopting cats from shelters. The tone is casual and contemplative, with some users referencing other research or methods, but overall the group shows limited depth of engagement and minimal perceived impact on their understanding of cat behavior.

AgreementLow agreement

Most discussions express skepticism or neutrality regarding the study's findings, suggesting disagreement or indifference about the idea that cats lack secure attachments.

InterestModerate interest

Participants show curiosity and concern about the topic, evidenced by questions like 'Can cats care about us?' and comments about personal experiences and methods.

EngagementNeutral engagement

The interactions are moderate, with some sharing videos or discussing the methodology but lacking deep analytical debates.

ImpactNeutral impact

The discussions seem more personal and casual rather than indicating any profound influence from the publication.

Abstract in brief

  • The study tested whether domestic cats form a secure attachment to their owners using a modified version of the Strange Situation Test (SST), but found little evidence supporting this idea.
  • Cats showed some behaviors, like vocalizing more when their owner left, but overall did not behave in ways typical of securely attached animals, indicating they are generally more independent.
  • The research suggests that cats are mainly autonomous in their social relationships and that new methods are needed to better understand the psychological nature of the bond between cats and their owners.]

Top posts

Most liked on X and Bluesky
Catucation
@Catucation1 · X

Next video is live! Let me know what you think and I hope you learn something new

Jul 31, 2021 · 10 likes · 3 shares · 196 followers View post →
In-Mind | Psychologie für alle!
@InMindMagazin · X

Hunde zeigen (wie Kinder) im "Ainsworth Strange Situation Test" typische Anzeichen sicherer Bindung zu ihren primären Bezugspersonen. Lange gelang dieser Nachweis bei

Apr 6, 2021 · 3 likes · 9,651 followers View post →
Faisal
@Faisal_ha4 · X

المصادر

Sep 6, 2022 · 3 likes · 1,432 followers View post →
John Prensner
@johnprensner.bsky.social · Bluesky

So I love my cat but how much does my cat love me? Well, they may like you, but they may not have strong bonds to you. I guess that makes sense since I got our cat from the humane society as an adult, and he's doing just fine with us as his new home.

Nov 27, 2024 · 2 likes · 1 share View post →
Catucation
@Catucation1 · X

Can cats care about us? #CatsOfTwitter https://t.co/5eWFQID3pD

Aug 17, 2021 · 1 like · 196 followers View post →
Catucation
@Catucation1 · X

I have been thinking my last video ( Can cats get attached to us? https://t.co/5eWFQID3pD ) was a bit dense with info. I study at university myself but maybe I can’t use the same methods for YT. YouTube is more about relaxing and entertainment. What do you think?

Aug 6, 2021 · 1 like · 196 followers View post →

All mentions

GIGACHAD
@GIGACHADWANG69 · X

@karnochery @radioklingon @samarainkqueen @mrgapingasshole https://t.co/IYoIPVp3cf Took me 2 seconds to find one

Oct 16, 2025 · 4 followers View post →
John Prensner
@johnprensner.bsky.social · Bluesky

So I love my cat but how much does my cat love me? Well, they may like you, but they may not have strong bonds to you. I guess that makes sense since I got our cat from the humane society as an adult, and he's doing just fine with us as his new home.

Nov 27, 2024 · 2 likes · 1 share View post →
Faisal
@Faisal_ha4 · X

المصادر

Sep 6, 2022 · 3 likes · 1,432 followers View post →
Catucation
@Catucation1 · X

Can cats care about us? #CatsOfTwitter https://t.co/5eWFQID3pD

Aug 17, 2021 · 1 like · 196 followers View post →
Catucation
@Catucation1 · X

I have been thinking my last video ( Can cats get attached to us? https://t.co/5eWFQID3pD ) was a bit dense with info. I study at university myself but maybe I can’t use the same methods for YT. YouTube is more about relaxing and entertainment. What do you think?

Aug 6, 2021 · 1 like · 196 followers View post →
#CalicoCrew - We've all got a little Calico in us.
@CalicoCrew1 · X

RT @Catucation1: Next video is live! Let me know what you think and I hope you learn something new

Jul 31, 2021 · 3 shares · 4,836 followers View post →
Naneel
@Naneel89243591 · X

RT @Catucation1: Next video is live! Let me know what you think and I hope you learn something new

Jul 31, 2021 · 3 shares · 126 followers View post →
❄️
@Andrea56822453 · X

RT @Catucation1: Next video is live! Let me know what you think and I hope you learn something new

Jul 31, 2021 · 3 shares · 11,516 followers View post →
Catucation
@Catucation1 · X

Next video is live! Let me know what you think and I hope you learn something new

Jul 31, 2021 · 10 likes · 3 shares · 196 followers View post →
In-Mind | Psychologie für alle!
@InMindMagazin · X

Hunde zeigen (wie Kinder) im "Ainsworth Strange Situation Test" typische Anzeichen sicherer Bindung zu ihren primären Bezugspersonen. Lange gelang dieser Nachweis bei

Apr 6, 2021 · 3 likes · 9,651 followers View post →
A Professional's Guide To Feline Behaviour Understanding ...
News

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0284132. 80 A Professional's Guide to Feline ... e0135109. doi:10.1371/ journal.pone.0135109. Ramos, D. (2019) 'Common feline ...

Dec 12, 2025 View →
Facebook
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... journals.plos. org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone. 0135109#pone-0135109-g002 [4] https://www.sciencedirect. com/science/article/abs/pii ...

Dec 12, 2025 View →
The Effect of Owner Presence and Scent On Stress Resilience in ...
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PLoS One 10, 0135109. https://doi.org/10.1371/ Ainsworth, M.D.S., Bell, S.M., 1970. Attachment, exploration, and separation: illustrated journal.pone.0135109.

Dec 12, 2025 View →
Мой мир гештальта
Facebook

... journals.plos. org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone. 0135109#pone-0135109-g002 [4] https://www.sciencedirect. com/science/article/abs/pii ...

Dec 12, 2025 View →
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E0135109. Qureshi, A., Zeeshan Memon, M., Vazquez, G., Suri, M. Fareed ... doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0122085. Wuethrich, B., Schindler, C., Leuenberger ...

Dec 12, 2025 View →
Cat-Human Interaction Review | PDF | Cats | Attachment Theory
News

PLoS One 10 (9), E0135109. ed. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge ... In: http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0122085. IEMT-Austria (Ed.), The ...

Dec 12, 2025 View →
Dog has seperation anxiety while OP is away at work, so OP got him ...
Reddit

http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0135109. Reply reply. Share More replies More replies More replies ...

Jun 3, 2018 View →
Warum Katzen so unabhängig sind - Trennungsangst ist bei ...
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(PLOS ONE, 2015; doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0135109). (University of Lincoln, 07.09.2015 – AKR). 7. September 2015. Keine Meldungen mehr ...

Sep 7, 2015 View →
Standing on their own four feet: Why cats are more independent ...
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PLOS ONE, 2015; 10 (9): e0135109 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0135109. Cite This Page: MLA; APA; Chicago. University of Lincoln. "Standing on ...

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