Do cats really think we’re ugly?
Since the dawn of the internet, funny cat videos and memes have led many to wonder: do cats actually judge our looks? A viral video shows a cat staring at their owner in apparent disgust as she smiles at the camera. But is that cat actually repulsed or just confused? The truth about how cats perceive human appearance is more complex. While cats do not comprehend beauty standards or actively judge our looks, their vision and instincts allow them to notice details about human faces, bodies, and clothing in ways we may not expect.
Cats Depend on Sight
Cats rely heavily on their vision to understand and navigate the world around them. In fact, sight is a cat’s primary sense (source: https://www.allaboutvision.com/resources/human-interest/cat-vision/). Cats have a wide field of vision that allows them to see things clearly both near and far. Their eyes are positioned on the front of their head, giving them binocular vision with depth perception. This helps cats accurately judge distances when jumping and pouncing. Additionally, cats have a high concentration of rod cells in their eyes, which are sensitive to dim light. This aids their vision in low light conditions (source: https://www.merckvetmanual.com/cat-owners/eye-disorders-of-cats/eye-structure-and-function-in-cats). Overall, a cat’s strong visual abilities allow it to effectively hunt, play, navigate terrain, interact with humans/other animals, and perform various innate behaviors central to a cat’s life.
Cats Notice Physical Features
Research shows cats do recognize human faces and notice our physical traits. According to one study published in Animal Cognition, cats can discriminate between human faces when photos are presented to them on a screen. The cats spent more time looking at photographs of strangers than photographs of their owners. This indicates facial recognition abilities.
In another experiment, cats were able to tell the difference between their owner’s smiling face and neutral expression. The cats showed behaviors like moving their tails, moving their ears back, licking their nose, and blinking slowly more often in response to the smiling faces. This suggests cats notice subtle differences in facial features.
While cats may not recognize facial features in the same way as humans, they are observant animals and use their excellent eyesight to identify people. Physical traits like our facial features, height, hairstyle, glasses, and other aspects of our appearance are all noticed by cats.
Meowing and Staring
Cats often meow more frequently and stare longer at some people compared to others. There are several potential reasons for this behavior:
Cats may stare longer at people they feel comfortable with and have bonded with, as prolonged eye contact is a sign of affection and trust (Cats Protection Blog, 2018). Staring helps strengthen social connections between cats and their owners.
People that remind cats of previous owners or those who cared for them as kittens may also elicit more meows and stares. The familiarity is comforting for cats.
Additionally, cats are very observant and may stare more intently at people wearing eye-catching clothing or accessories. Unique hair styles or bold makeup choices tend to attract a cat’s gaze (PetHelpful, 2023).
In some cases, cats stare more at people they are curious or cautious about, as they are unsure what to make of them. This tends to happen with strangers.
Ultimately, frequent meows and staring indicate the cat feels strongly about a person, whether due to bonding, familiarity, curiosity or caution. Cats view different people in different ways based on appearance, behavior and past experiences.
Reactions to Strangers
Cats can have very different reactions when meeting someone new compared to being around their familiar owners or regular visitors. Many cats tend to be shy, anxious, or fearful around strangers at first. This is likely due to a lack of socialization and exposure to new people as kittens. According to one source, “Cats can be shy around strangers for several reasons. A common reason is lack of experience with visitors when the cats were kittens.” (Source).
When a stranger comes into a cat’s territory, they may initially hide or keep their distance. Some cats observe the stranger cautiously before slowly approaching to investigate. Especially timid cats may hiss, growl, or swat when strangers try to pet or pick them up. It often takes multiple visits from the same person for an anxious cat to warm up and feel comfortable. However, once a cat is used to someone, they are likely to be much friendlier on repeat visits.
According to experts, “Some cats may be curious and friendly towards strangers, while others may be more cautious or even fearful. Factors such as socialization, early experiences, genetics and personality play a role.” (Source). So while many cats are shy around new people, each cat reacts based on their unique temperament and life experiences.
Clothing and Accessories
Cats definitely notice when we change our clothing or put on accessories. While cats don’t wear clothes themselves, they can recognize their human companions by visual cues like our face, body shape, and scent. When we put on or take off clothing items, especially bulky ones like hats, coats, and shoes, it changes our visual silhouette and cats will notice that difference.
According to discussions on Reddit, some cat owners have observed their cats staring intently or meowing when they put on a new sweater or jacket (source). The tightness of clothing creates pressure that may release endorphins and help cats feel relaxed. On the other hand, loose flowing clothing like robes or dress coats can trigger a cat’s prey drive since the fluttering fabric resembles prey animals. Tight accessories like hats and sunglasses can also obscure a cat’s view of its owner’s face and eyes, making it harder for the cat to recognize them.
Cats rely heavily on scent cues, so they may show great interest in smelling clothing right after it’s removed. The traces of scent on the clothes reveal information about where their owner has been. Some cats even bite or nibble on clothes, possibly attracted by the scent of their owner. So next time you change clothes around your cat, expect it to pay close attention and sniff out all the latest details!
Scent Plays a Role
Cats primarily identify people through their sense of smell which is far superior to humans. Cats have over 200 million odor sensors in their noses whereas humans only have around 5 million (Cat Senses). A cat’s sense of smell is 14 times stronger than humans and they use it to identify objects, locations, and people (Smell – A Very Important Sense to Cats).
When a cat encounters a person, they use their powerful sense of smell to pick up that person’s unique scent signature. Cats can recognize their owners by smell and many react positively when they detect their owner’s scent, indicating they find it comforting and familiar (Does your cat find your scent comforting?). A cat’s ability to identify people by scent helps reinforce social bonds.
Facial Expressions Matter
Cats pay close attention to human facial expressions and body language to understand our moods and emotions. According to research, cats integrate visual and auditory signals to recognize human emotions (Quaranta et al., 2020). When humans smile, laugh, or use an affectionate, friendly tone of voice, cats seem to understand we are in a positive mood and are open to interaction. On the other hand, frowning, angry voices, aggressive body language, and signs of stress or anxiety are interpreted as signals to keep their distance.
Cats also seem particularly attentive to human eye contact and facial cues. Direct eye contact and smiling are social signals cats associate with friendship. However, staring straight at a cat is seen as threatening behavior, while blinking slowly at a cat demonstrates trust and affection. Subtle facial cues like dilated pupils, tense muscles, sweating, increased heart rate, and tight lips are all involuntary signs of fear, anxiety, or aggression that cats seem capable of detecting.
Overall, research indicates cats rely on our facial expressions and body language, along with vocal tones, to understand human emotions and determine if interaction is welcome. While they may not understand the full complexity of human feelings, cats are remarkably adept at picking up on our basic moods and sentiments.
Individual Preferences
Research has shown that cats exhibit distinct personality traits that influence how they judge and react to humans based on appearance. According to a study by Four Paws, cats can be categorized based on five key characteristics: neuroticism, extraversion, dominance, impulsivity, and tolerance (https://www.four-paws.org/our-stories/publications-guides/a-cats-personality). Another study identified common cat personality traits like friendliness, gentleness, recklessness, and more (https://us.feliway.com/blogs/news/kitty-personalities-what-personality-traits-do-different-breeds-have).
While general patterns exist, individual cats often react differently to human appearance based on their unique preferences and personalities. For example, a friendly and outgoing cat may approach strangers without hesitation and show interest in their clothing or accessories. Meanwhile, a shy cat may hide from new people or only allow petting from familiar individuals. Cats also demonstrate preferences for certain physical features like height, hair color, and facial hair. The key is observing each cat’s distinct reactions and judgments when introduced to new people.
Conclusion
Although they may appear aloof at times, cats definitely notice the physical appearance of humans. Their excellent vision leads them to detect even minor changes in clothing, accessories, hairstyles, and facial features. While cats rely heavily on visual cues, they also use scent to distinguish among people. And a cat’s own personality can affect how attentive it is to appearances. Ultimately, felines observe far more about us than many realize. By understanding how cats perceive humans, we gain greater insight into our enigmatic furry friends.
In summary, evidence shows cats are quite observant of human appearance. Their sharp vision, ability to sniff out scents, and individual preferences lead them to make judgments based on our looks and style. So next time your cat stares, meows, or reacts differently to certain people, it may not be a coincidence. Their perspective on our appearance reveals an intriguing aspect of the unique bond between cats and humans.