Have you ever looked into your cat’s eyes and just wondered if they’re looking back and contemplating if it’s possible to kill you despite your being bigger than them? Does it seem like their rubbing against your legs just as you head down the stairs is an intentional ploy to trip you and cause serious injuries?
Even if you haven’t gone quite that far in assuming the worst, you’ve probably still noticed that cats make themselves priority number one always. The rest of us are just there to serve them.
So, what is it, exactly, that makes us think our cats might be psychopaths?
It’s hard to ignore that cats seem to lack empathy, especially when they’re playing with each other. How many times have we all seen videos in which a cat knocks another one off a ledge or down the stairs and looks perfectly innocent after doing it?
To most of us, that pretty much sums up a psychopath. But there is actually a lot more to cats and why they do things. Science has the answer.
Dogs are better at mimicking us
Mikel Maria Delgado, a postdoctoral researcher on cat behavior, has noted that dogs have had a longer time to learn how to mimic our expressions. So, it seems to us like they relate better to us and are the less psychopathic when it comes to the battle of cats and dogs. Some dogs even manage to move their eyebrows like ours. You can’t get much more human-like than that. Dogs have simple been domesticated for longer.
We just don’t understand the meaning behind cat behaviors
When we see a dead mouse on the stairs to the house, our first reaction might not be one of gratitude. Mostly, what we notice is the carnage. However, to a cat, they just went through a whole lot of effort to bring you home a meal and even saved pretty much all tastiest parts for you.
Sure, the dog might fetch a pointless ball and make you throw it a hundred times for seemingly no reason at all, but a cat is literally going out there to bring you home something that will keep you alive, all without being asked. Now, which species seems more deranged?
Sometimes they hurt us
While a dog might curl up close by, a cat is likely to do a little kneading – with claws fully extended – before settling in. That can seriously hurt. From your cat’s perspective, it means they feel safe and comfortable around you. You’re one of the family. However, our own psychology tells us that something that hurts that much can’t possibly be love. It’s only natural that we start wondering if our cats are really all about themselves and no one else.
We know they’re predators
It’s hard to deny that cats are miniature predators. They pounce on anything that moves, their claws are sharp, they will never consider broccoli or peanut butter to be food, and they have lightning-fast reaction times. In fact, most play for a cat is just training for hunting the next insect that they come across. They’re always ready for the kill.
The fact that they keep the same hours as vampires isn’t exactly comforting either. What, exactly, are they doing while we sleep?
This video might answer that, at least (see, they really do love us in their own way):
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