Cats are stressed because we treat them like dogs

Cats do not enjoy 21st century living and are stressed out by owners who expect them to behave like 'a less demanding dog'

Cats suffer from stress because owners expect them to behave like dogs, according to a leading animal behaviourist.

People expect cats to be thoroughly domesticated, to enjoy being petted and to be relaxed about sharing their living space, said Dr John Bradshaw. They fail to understand that lavishing a cat with affection will not necessarily make it feel more content.

"If cat owners understood their pets better, they'd recognise the demands we're putting on them and how that manifests itself in their physical and mental health.

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“Unlike dogs, the cat is still halfway between a domestic and a wild animal, and it’s not enjoying 21st century living,” said Dr Bradshaw, director of the Anthrozoology Institute at Bristol University.

“People assume cats are going to be like a less demanding dog. They are equally interesting, in my opinion, and equally companionable, but they have their own way of doing things.

“Dogs were sociable before they were domesticated, and we domesticated them so that they would understand what we wanted from them. With cats, all we wanted was for them to keep our houses and farms and food stores free of rats and mice, and they got on with that.