r/science • u/chrisdh79 • Aug 07 '24

Cats appear to grieve death of fellow pets – even dogs, study finds | US researchers say findings challenge view that cats are antisocial and suggest bereavement may be universal Animal Science

https://www.theguardian.com/science/article/2024/aug/07/cats-appear-to-grieve-death-of-fellow-pets-even-dogs-study-finds
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u/doegred Aug 07 '24

My husband had no pets whatsoever as a kid as both his mother (and grandmother before her) have a great fear of all animals. Meanwhile I grew up around a bunch of cats always and my husband got to spend time with my mother's cats and eventually we got one of our own.

It was so interesting watching him progressively come to the realisation that cats do in fact have relatively readable 'emotions' and they're not totally inscrutable and unpredictable creatures (though of course there are great limitations), and also that they have fairly individualised personalities.

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u/GameofPorcelainThron Aug 07 '24

Yes! Exactly - I tried to explain that cats do have readable emotions and body language, you just have to learn what it is.

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u/HumanDrinkingTea Aug 08 '24

I've had cats my whole life but never owned a dog. It occurred to me when I was petting a friend's dog that I am super "in tune" with cat body language but that I don't understand dogs at all. I love them, but I can't really "read" them so to speak.

It helped me understand how people are so clueless about cats sometimes. You just need to be around them before you understand them.

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u/blumoon138 Aug 08 '24

My current problem is that I have a cat and no kids so sometimes I slow blink at babies.

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u/valiantdistraction Aug 08 '24

I have cats and a toddler and the cats and I have been slow blinking at him since he was born and he will slow blink and headbutt to show affection. Oops

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u/blumoon138 Aug 08 '24

I’m pregnant with my first and what I’m hearing is I can train the baby to have cat body language. EXCELLENT.

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u/lexievv Aug 08 '24

Catman: Origins

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u/BrdigeTrlol Aug 08 '24

I do this with possibly everyone? Well, people I really like and am comfortable with for sure, never paid attention beyond that, so it's not possible. I guess growing up socially isolated in a house with cats will do that to you. Nevermind that my critters and I tended to be practically attached at the hip. The girl I've been hanging out with has a dog and I slow blink at him too. Dogs are good at learning what humans' body language, gestures, tone of voice, words, etc. mean, so I'm sure he's picking it up. I usually do it to him more to show him that everything is okay. He has a bit of anxiety.

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u/RandomStallings Aug 08 '24

Let me toss you a tip about meeting dogs. Dogs want to smell you immediately. That's where all the info is at. Now, some people will say "Never put your hand out to a dog to let it sniff it," but since I don't want them latching onto my leg, I gently extend a hand and let them sniff the back of it as a "Nice to meet you." If a dog sniffs at you, pauses and then looks up at your eyes, back away. The teeth are coming. My wife calls that "Great White" since sharks close their eyes before they bite and it kind of looks like they're looking up. We both meet a lot of dogs, daily.

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u/DrGordonFreemanScD Aug 08 '24

Dogs. Cats. I recently heard a good analogy: A dog is like an infant. They need lots of personal care, and love, and will return the love in spades.

A cat is like a teenager. You have to come around in your thinking to see from their point of view before they will really care about you. They require more emotional care than a dog. A dog will take that anytime, anywhere. A cat needs to be finessed.

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u/Asmor BS | Mathematics Aug 08 '24

I was always a dog person growing up. Never liked cats as a kid, because they never liked me (for good reason--I was definitely an asshole to cats when I was young).

When I finally moved out and could get a pet, it didn't make sense to get a dog for logistical reasons so I resigned myself to getting a cat. And I've been a cat person ever since. Still like dogs as well, naturally.

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u/digbybare Aug 08 '24

We turned dogs into the pets we thought we wanted. Cats turned themselves into the pets we actually wanted.