Is Your Cat a Psychopath ? Scientists Created a Test to Find Out

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Feline behavior has fascinated humanity for centuries: they seem to live by their own rules, their behavior is sometimes tricky to decipher, and their bond with humans is unique. While many studies have been conducted to better understand it, a team of British researchers ventured into uncharted territory in this study published in December in the Journal of Research in Personality. Why not look at their personality traits through the lens of psychopathy ?

Psychopathy is a more severe and complex form of antisocial personality disorder that the MSD Manual defines as: ” a persistent pattern of disregard for consequences and the rights of others “. It is characterized by a combination of emotional traits (lack of empathy, guilt, remorse) and behavioral traits (manipulation, impulsiveness, tendency to parasitize others). So, could your cat have everything of a Hannibal Lecter on four legs ?

The three pillars of feline personality

The triarchic model of psychopathy, initially designed for the study of human behavior, reveals a certain relevance in the analysis of feline temperament. This approach is structured around three fundamental dimensions: boldness, characterized by a propensity for exploration and resilience in the face of stress; malevolence, which manifests itself in potentially aggressive or manipulative behaviors; and disinhibition, reflecting a tendency to act impulsively and seek stimulation.

Rebecca Evans, a psychologist at the University of Liverpool, gives her personal take on the study: “Our cats and their personality differences naturally led us to this line of research.” Her own cat, Gumball, perfectly illustrates the dimension of disinhibition, demonstrating a constant need for attention and a very marked vocal expressiveness.

Deciphering feline behavior

The study is based on a considerable sample of 2,042 cat-owner relationships, allowing for robust statistical analysis of behavioral patterns. The resulting questionnaire, called CAT-Tri+, includes 46 carefully calibrated items, exploring a broad spectrum of behaviors: territorial exploration strategies, reactions to dangerous situations, social dynamics with conspecifics, needs for environmental stimulation, and adaptation to household rules.

Owners were asked to rate their pets on a graduated scale, ranging from ” does not match my cat ” to ” matches my cat perfectly “. This quantitative approach allows us to correctly capture the nuances of feline behavior, while maintaining essential methodological rigor.

It's like using a ruler to measure an object: you get more reliable results than if you simply estimated ” large ” or ” small ». Using such a scale also reduces personal bias. Two different people using the same scale to assess the same cat will tend to give similar results.

The assessment also integrates factors of sociability towards humans and other animals, thus offering a holistic view of the personality of the cats analyzeds.

The hidden side of our cats

According to the results of the study: the traits associated with psychopathy would have constituted an adaptive advantage for the ancestors of our domestic cats. As Evans explains, these traits facilitated the acquisition of essential resources: territories, food, and breeding opportunities.

The correlations identified by the research team defy common intuitions: disinhibition and a certain distance from other animals paradoxically predict a more harmonious relationship with the owner. Conversely, boldness and malevolence indicate more complex relational dynamics and a cat that is potentially more difficult to understand.

This evolutionary perspective sheds new light on the sometimes disconcerting behaviors of our domestic companions. For example, a cat that seems indifferent to its peers could have inherited a behavior that allowed it to survive better in the wild.

Let's use an example to illustrate; if your cat tends to hide its food, it's not by chance. This behavior may seem strange, even petty, to a human. However, if we know that your pet's ancestors were solitary hunters who often had to face competition for food, it becomes easier to understand why this behavior may have been selected for during evolution. Hiding his food allowed him to ensure his survival by preventing other animals from stealing his prey.

By considering these behaviors as the result of an evolutionary process, we are less inclined to judge them negatively. We can therefore understand that these traits, although they may seem unpleasant to us, could have been advantageous in a different context. No, your cat, even if he sometimes seems to snub you or look at you with a bad eye, is not an imperfect or deviant being: he is simply a complex creature, shaped by thousands of years of evolution. Nor is he a psychopath in the clinical sense of the term. This study shows correlations between certain traits and behaviors, but it does not establish causal links. So you can rest assured that your cat is not plotting behind your back, even if he spends his nights scribbling complex diagrams on your beautiful leather couch.

• A study analyzed the personality of cats using the model of human psychopathy.
• Traits such as boldness, impulsivity, and aggression were studied through a questionnaire among owners.
• These behaviors have their roots in the evolution of this animal, but do not mean that it is psychopathic.

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