The bonds between us: Stronger bonds predict greater attribution of companion animal socio-cognitive skills

Abstract

Much has been hypothesized about the role of domestication and socialization in shaping the cognition of domestic dogs, but little effort has been made to understand how these factors shape the cognition of domestic cats. The current study makes an attempt to address this omission by surveying companion animal caregivers about the rearing and socialization of their companion cats and dogs, as well as their social cognitive abilities and dispositions. For example, caregivers were asked to rate their companion animal’s ability to follow communicative cues, anticipate actions, comfort others, learn and solve problems, hunt and explore. Participants also rated their animal companions’ aggression, fear and affection toward other animals and humans. The more bonded caregivers were to their companion animals, the more they attributed positive attributes and greater abilities to them, regardless of whether the companion was a cat (n = 156) or a dog (n = 343). However, caregivers attributed greater abilities to dogs than cats, with the exception of hunting/exploratory behavior, for which they rated cats higher. The amount of time spent with people predicted only the desire for human contact and ability to comfort people or other animals. Age of exposure to humans was associated with fear, affection, desire for human contact, ability to comfort others. Age of exposure also predicted the ability to follow points and attend to names for dogs only. Although cognitive abilities must be objectively tested by neutral researchers to confirm the validity of ratings provided by caregivers, the results open a window to how caregivers’ perception of companion animal minds may be shaped by their bonds.