Scientists from the University of Derby (UK) decided to study the behavior of cats when no one is watching them. To do this, lightweight cameras were installed on 16 animals, which recorded all the actions of the cats throughout the day and night.
After reviewing the recordings, researchers noticed significant differences: cats behave differently in the presence of humans than when alone with other animals or by themselves, reports the Daily Mail.
Even lazy house cats, who prefer to rest on the couch, become attentive and active hunters outdoors. Animals that are noisy at home try to remain unnoticed outside. In the absence of their owners, cats exhibited caution when exploring their territory or encountering other animals.
Sometimes, cats would observe their surroundings for 30–60 minutes before relaxing. Despite their habit of defending their boundaries, they did not always engage in conflicts. Occasionally, cats simply sat at a distance from each other, assessing the situation, noted Dr. Maren Haak.
The idea for the study came to Maren in 2014. She noticed that during walks in the garden with her cat Patoka, the animal behaved calmly: grooming and resting. However, when alone, Patoka hunted and interacted with other cats.
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