How Do Cats Actually See Us?

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Have you ever wondered how cats see humans? Do they consider us their owners, friends, or perhaps just giant cats? Research and observations of feline behavior suggest that the way cats interact with humans has many similarities to how they interact with other cats.

This can be seen in various behaviors cats display toward humans, such as rubbing against their bodies, purring, and even giving gentle bites. These behaviors are part of the way cats communicate and show affection toward individuals they know and trust.

This view is consistent with a theory proposed by feline behavior expert John Bradshaw in his 2013 book, Cat Sense: How the New Feline Science Can Make You a Better Friend to Your Pet. Bradshaw explains that cats generally behave toward humans in much the same way as they would when interacting with other cats.

In other words, cats may perceive humans as part of the social environment they know rather than as creatures that are completely different from themselves. Even so, cats can recognize that humans are considerably larger and have abilities and behaviors that differ from their own.

Interestingly, cats may also perceive humans as larger beings that are not always as agile as they are. This idea is sometimes illustrated by the fact that humans may accidentally trip over or step on cats, while cats are generally more agile when moving around humans.

Cats also do not rely solely on their eyesight to recognize humans. Although they have good vision, cats use various sensory cues, including sounds and scents, to distinguish their owners from other people and to recognize their surroundings.

Through these interactions, cats build social relationships with humans based on experience, familiarity, and trust. So, while cats may not understand humans in the same way humans understand themselves, their behavior shows that humans have an important place in a cat's social world.