A new study has found that cats’ happiness is closely linked to their owners’ emotional well-being, with researchers discovering that stress and positive emotions may affect both humans and their pets.
Scientists from Kyoto University and Azabu University in Japan found that cats and their owners had linked levels of oxytocin, commonly known as the “love hormone,” which plays a role in affection, social bonding, and happiness.
The research also found that owners with happier cats reported lower levels of anxiety, depression, and tension, suggesting that the emotional connection between humans and cats could be stronger than previously understood.
Scientists discover hormonal connection between cats and owners
The study, published in the scientific journal iScience, followed 19 owners and 29 cats over a month, measuring their oxytocin and cortisol levels alongside how much time they spent together.
Researchers discovered that cats with higher oxytocin levels tended to have owners with similarly elevated levels of the hormone.
However, the connection also worked in the opposite direction. Owners experiencing higher levels of stress, measured through the hormone cortisol, tended to have cats with lower oxytocin levels.
Pexels“Cats serve not merely as passive companions, but as active social partners,” said lead researcher Dr. Saho Takagi of Kyoto University.
The team also used Bluetooth trackers attached to the cats’ collars to measure how much time they spent physically close to their owners.
They found that owners who spent more time near their cats reported higher energy levels and improved moods, regardless of how long they had owned their pets.
“Time spent in close physical proximity to one’s cat, plausibly reflecting the frequency of petting, play, or other direct engagement, may be associated with more immediate, positive affective states,” Takagi explained.
Cats with higher oxytocin levels were also more likely to approach both their owners and unfamiliar people, while those with higher stress levels were less willing to approach strangers.
Although the findings suggest a biological connection between cats and their owners, researchers stressed that the study does not establish whether happier owners make their cats happier or whether happier cats improve their owners’ moods.
