Study Explores Link Between Cats’ Happiness and Owners’ Emotional Wellbeing

A new study suggests that cats’ happiness may be closely connected to the emotional wellbeing of their owners, raising questions about how people’s moods relate to those of their pets.

Researchers found that positive emotions and stress may affect both humans and their cats. The study explores the relationship between hormones in cats and their owners as part of that emotional connection.

The findings point to a possible link between the wellbeing of people and the animals they live with. They do not, however, establish that cats understand their owners’ psychological state in the same way humans do.

The available summary does not identify the hormones examined or explain how the researchers measured emotions and stress. It also does not establish whether changes in an owner’s mood directly cause changes in a cat’s wellbeing.

For cat owners, the study offers a glimpse into a relationship that may extend beyond companionship, while leaving open questions about how that connection works.