研究表明，你的貓的“壞”行為可能意味著它們想念你

研究表明，你的貓的“壞”行為可能意味著它們想念你

If your cat won't stop shredding the toilet paper and urinating on your couch, it could be a result of separation anxiety, a new study suggests.

一項新的研究表明，如果你的貓不停地撕廁紙和在你的沙發(fā)上小便，這可能是分離焦慮的結(jié)果。

Many studies have observed owner separation problems in dogs, but the same research hasn't been done for cats. Recent studies have found, however, that indoor cats are social and develop bonds with their owners.

許多研究觀察了狗的主人分離問題，但沒有對貓進行同樣的研究。然而，最近的研究發(fā)現(xiàn)，家養(yǎng)的貓是社會性的，它們會與主人建立聯(lián)系。

To assess separation-related issues in our feline companions, researchers gave 130 owners of adult cats in Brazil a questionnaire on their cat's behaviors, interactions and living environment. Out of 223 cats, 13.5% had at least one separation-related problem -- such as destructive behaviors or distressed mental states -- challenging the commonly held idea that cats are happy alone.

為了評估我們的貓科動物同伴的分離相關(guān)問題，研究人員向巴西130名成年貓的主人發(fā)放了一份關(guān)于他們的貓的行為、互動和生活環(huán)境的問卷。在223只貓中，13.5%的貓至少有一種與分離有關(guān)的問題，比如破壞性行為或痛苦的精神狀態(tài)，這些問題質(zhì)疑了人們通常認為的貓獨處時很快樂的觀點。

"Some people believe that domestic cats are unable to develop an attachment to their caregivers/owners, but this idea was not confirmed by recent studies, showing that these animals can establish bonds with their owners," said study author Aline Cristina Sant'Anna, a professor of zoology at the Federal University in Brazil.

“有些人認為家貓無法與它們的看護者/主人建立親密關(guān)系，但最近的研究并沒有證實這一觀點，研究表明，這些動物可以與主人建立聯(lián)系，”研究作者、巴西聯(lián)邦大學(xué)動物學(xué)教授艾琳·克里斯蒂娜•圣安娜說。

"Our study suggests that these animals might suffer when separated from their attachment figure."

“我們的研究表明，當這些動物與它們的依戀人物分離時，它們可能會遭受痛苦。”

What cats do when they're alone

貓獨處時會做什么

The questionnaire distributed to cat owners was based on prior research on separation anxiety syndrome in dogs, according to the study published Wednesday in the journal PLOS ONE. It asked them about behaviors and body language their pets displayed when caretakers were absent from home.

根據(jù)周三發(fā)表在《公共科學(xué)圖書館•綜合》雜志上的一項研究，這份分發(fā)給貓主人的調(diào)查問卷是基于此前對狗的分離焦慮綜合癥的研究。研究人員詢問了他們的寵物在主人不在家時的行為和肢體語言。

Since there weren't any cameras observing the cats, the owners answered based on evidence from reports by other residents, neighbors or any signs the cat left in the home, such as feces, urine or broken objects, Sant'Anna said.

圣安娜說，由于沒有任何攝像頭對貓進行觀察，貓的主人是根據(jù)其他居民、鄰居的報告或貓留在家里的任何跡象(比如糞便、尿液或破碎的物體)來回答貓的問題的。

Thirty out of 223 cats met at least one of the behavioral criteria the researchers used to define separation-related problems.

223只貓中有30只至少符合研究人員用來定義分離相關(guān)問題的行為標準之一。

Nearly 67% of thosecats exhibited destructive behavior, followed by excessive vocalization, urination in inappropriate places, depression-apathy, aggressiveness, agitation-anxiety.

近67%的貓表現(xiàn)出破壞性行為，其次是過度發(fā)聲、在不適當?shù)牡胤叫”?、抑郁冷漠、攻擊性、焦慮不安。

They could just be frustrated

他們可能只是感到沮喪

While the study suggests some cats' "bad" behavior may be a result of separation anxiety, Johnson said the matter is case dependent. She hasn't seen a lot of separation anxiety as much as she's noticed bored and frustrated behavior stemming from a lack of enrichment.

雖然研究表明，一些貓的“壞”行為可能是分離焦慮的結(jié)果，但約翰遜說，這一問題取決于具體情況。她沒有看到太多的分離焦慮，因為她注意到無聊和沮喪的行為源于缺乏充實。

If your cat won't stop urinating or defecating on the floor or on your bed, it might be time to take her to the vet. Some behaviors that might be annoying to us may be even more painful for them: These missteps could indicate that your pet is dealing with an underlying medical condition, Johnson said.

如果你的貓不停地在地板上或你的床上撒尿、排便，也許是時候帶它去看獸醫(yī)了。

約翰遜說，有些行為可能會讓我們感到厭煩，但對他們來說可能更痛苦:這些失誤可能表明你的寵物正在應(yīng)對潛在的健康問題。