Introduction
The relationship between cats and humans dates back thousands of years. In ancient Egypt, cats were revered and worshipped as gods and goddesses. Today, there are an estimated 94 million pet cats in the United States alone. With cats being such an integral part of our lives, many cat owners feel deeply bonded to their feline companions.
In recent years, there has been growing interest in understanding if our cats can actually sense our emotions and mental state. While the idea that cats demonstrate empathy may sound far-fetched to some, there is emerging research that suggests cats may be more perceptive of human emotions than previously thought. Exploring whether cats have the capacity for empathy could reveal new insights into cat behavior, strengthen human-animal bonds, and potentially even help provide emotional support for their owners.
Cats as Emotional Support Animals
Cats are increasingly being used as emotional support animals (ESAs) for people suffering from mental health conditions like anxiety and depression. According to a survey by Pettable, 73% of people reported that their cat ESA was very effective at improving their mental health, giving them a rating of 8 out of 10 or higher.[1] Cats can provide many benefits as ESAs that make them well-suited for this role.
For those with anxiety or depression, cats can provide a source of calmness and comfort. The rhythmic motion of petting a cat can help lower heart rate and blood pressure. Cats also provide companionship and affection, which can ease feelings of loneliness. Their playful antics can provide joy and laughter. Taking care of a cat’s basic needs can give people a sense of purpose and accomplishment.
Unlike dogs, cats don’t require walking or high levels of activity. For people who struggle to leave the house or exert energy, a cat can be ideal. Cats are lower maintenance than dogs and can be left alone for longer periods of time. Their quiet, low-key demeanor allows them to rest and relax alongside their owners without causing additional stress.
Overall, cats make excellent ESAs for many mental health conditions because of their calming presence and relatively self-sufficient nature. Their unique ability to intuitively sense human emotions further enables them to provide targeted comfort and support.
[1] https://pettable.com/blog/esa-mental-health-survey
Evidence of Cat Empathy
There is some scientific evidence that cats may be capable of experiencing empathy, especially in regards to human emotions. A 2020 study published in PMC showed that cats are able to integrate visual and auditory emotional signals from both other cats and humans. Specifically, the cats could recognize the emotional meaning behind a cat’s hiss sound and a human expressing anger. This suggests cats may have the capacity for cross-species emotional recognition.
There are also many anecdotal reports of cats comforting their owners during times of distress or illness. For example, some cats have been known to snuggle up to crying owners or those suffering from depression. Other cats may lick their owner’s face or hand if the person is sick or injured. While anecdotal, these types of behaviors suggest cats can sense human emotions and make an effort to provide comfort.
Sensory Abilities
Cats have extremely advanced sensory abilities, especially their sense of smell. Cats have over 200 million odor sensors in their noses, whereas humans only have around 5 million [1]. This means a cat’s sense of smell is over 10 times better than a human’s. In addition to their powerful sense of smell, cats also have excellent hearing and vision capabilities. Their advanced sensory skills allow cats to gather much more environmental information than humans.
Some experts speculate that thanks to their superior senses, cats may be able to detect subtle changes in human behavior and scent that provide clues about a person’s mental state. For example, cats may notice variations in human pheromones, respiration, tone of voice, or posture that correlate with changes in mood or stress levels. While more research is needed, a cat’s extraordinary sensory abilities could plausibly allow them to perceive and respond to human mental health in unique ways.
Human-Cat Bond
Cats have a special bond with humans that has developed over thousands of years. According to research from the University of Missouri, when a human interacts with a cat through petting, playing, or feeding, it promotes the release of oxytocin in both the human and the cat.[1] This hormone is known to promote bonding, trust, and relationship satisfaction. Studies show that oxytocin is released in cats’ brains when humans pet them in preferred locations, similar to how oxytocin increases in humans when bonding with others.[2]
The human-cat bond likely began when humans started storing grain and cats learned they could catch the rodents trying to get into the supplies. Cats became valued for their hunting abilities. Over time, humans and cats formed close social bonds, with cats even mimicking human social cues like smiling. Today, most cat owners report their pet is a significant source of companionship and emotional support.
Mental Health Effects on Care
Depression and anxiety can negatively impact a person’s ability to properly care for their pet cats. When suffering from mental health issues, basic cat care tasks like cleaning the litter box, feeding on time, and playing/interacting with the cat may begin to feel burdensome and overwhelming.
According to the Human Animal Bond Research Institute, pets can act as “social support, which buffers stress responses.” However, the reverse may also be true. If the human is unable to uphold their end of the relationship, the cat may exhibit signs of stress or neglect.
Cats are perceptive creatures and tend to notice changes in routine. A 2003 study published in Anthrozoös found that the bond between guardian and cat can be broken when the human’s ability to care for the cat declines. The researchers noted that cats may react to this neglect by withdrawing from the relationship and avoiding interactions.
While cats make for great emotional support animals, their presence is not a substitute for professional mental health treatment. Humans battling depression or anxiety should take steps to manage their conditions, with both medication and therapy. This will allow them to be fully present in caring for their feline companions.
Stress and Pheromones
Research has shown that mental illness and stress can cause changes in human pheromones. When under stress or experiencing anxiety, humans produce an alarm pheromone that signals distress (Mujica-Parodi, 2008 [1]). This stress odor can unconsciously communicate negative emotions to those around them.
In particular, cats may be able to detect shifts in human pheromones caused by mental health issues. With their advanced sense of smell, cats can potentially pick up on the alarm pheromones signaling stress or anxiety (The Guardian, 2008 [2]). Research suggests cats are highly sensitive and responsive to pheromones, both in other cats and across species (Riddell, 2021 [3]).
Therefore, it’s possible cats can detect the subtle chemical signals emitted when humans experience mental health disturbances. Cats’ perception of pheromone changes may allow them to sense and respond to human emotional states, including mental illness.
Conclusion
There is some anecdotal evidence that cats may be able to sense changes in human mental health and mood, but more scientific research is needed. On one hand, cats do seem to exhibit signs of empathy and the ability to read human emotional cues through sight, sound, and possibly smell. The human-cat bond is complex and many cat owners feel their pets are acutely aware of their feelings and moods. However, the hard evidence that cats can sense mental illness and changes like depression and anxiety is limited. Cats may react to signs of distress like changes in behavior, routine, and pheromones, but whether they fully understand human mental health issues remains uncertain. While many believe their cats comfort them during tough times, more controlled studies are needed to confirm cats’ abilities to detect and respond to human mental states.
In conclusion, the question of whether cats can truly sense your mental health is currently unresolved. There are certainly examples of cats providing comfort and emotional support during times of human distress. However, more research is required to determine if cats have an innate ability to detect and understand human mental illness and moods beyond basic behavioral cues. While the human-animal bond is meaningful, we cannot definitively conclude cats have a “sixth sense” about human mental states based on current evidence. Continued studies on cat cognition and perception could provide more definitive insights into this question in the future.
The Takeaway
Cats make excellent emotional support animals. Many cat owners have reported strong anecdotal evidence of cat empathy, with stories of their feline friends providing comfort and affection during difficult times. While the exact mechanisms of how cats may sense human emotions are not fully understood, the special human-cat bond is clear. More research is certainly needed to explore cats’ abilities to detect mental and emotional states in their human companions. However, those living with anxiety, depression, PTSD, and other challenges have found cats to be wonderfully soothing, supportive, and therapeutic. When adopted from a shelter or rescue, cats can provide life-changing friendship while being given a loving home. So if you’re considering an emotional support animal, don’t overlook our purring pals. With their famously independent yet affectionate nature, cats may be the perfect prescription.
References
D’Aniello, B., Scandurra, A., Prato-Previde, E., Valsecchi, P. (2015). Gazing Toward Humans: A Measure of Emotion in Dogs Using Heart Rate Variability. Behavioral Processes, 120, 68-78.
Farago, T., Pongracz, P., Range, F., Viranyi, Z., Miklosi, A. (2012). Dogs Respond Appropriately to Cues of Humans’ Attentional Focus. Behavioural Processes, 114, 161-172.
Gaunet, F. (2010). How do Guide Dogs of Blind Owners and Pet Dogs of Sighted Owners (Canis familiaris) Ask Their Owners for Food? Animal Cognition, 13(1), 134-143.
Merola, I., Prato-Previde, E., Marshall-Pescini, S. (2012). Social Referencing in Dog-Owner Dyads? Animal Cognition, 15(2), 175-185.
Schötz, S. (2019). Dogs’ Communication with their Owners. In Dogs, Zoology, and History (pp. 119-140). Routledge.