Why cats may not be as curious as once thought and actually prefer predictability
Cats may not be as curious as once thought - and prefer predictability, a study suggests.
Researchers showed moggies a toy then placed it in one of two boxes. The boxes were obscured, moved and either swapped or returned to their original place.
The toy was revealed in either the expected location - called an “expected event” by academics, or an unexpected one, a “violation event”.
Cats were more likely to play with the toy if it reappeared in the original location. And they looked at the toy for longer when expected events took place before violation ones.
The University of Sussex’s Jemma Forman said: “Cats contrarily have a reputation for being highly curious yet are seemingly unmotivated in research studies.
“Despite this, cats were able to discriminate between expected and unexpected events, but in the opposite direction of what our knowledge in infants and dogs would otherwise suggest.”
Female, indoor-only, and mixed-breed cats were more likely to be interested in the toy. Cats were also more cautious near unfamiliar researchers.
(Story source: The Sun)