Why Some People Think Cats Are Psychopaths
If you’re an owner of a cat, you probably have heard (or even noticed?) that cats are psychopaths. Yes, cats are popular for their behaviours and they are full of personality, however, why are some cats referred to as psychopaths? Let’s find out.
What Is A Psychopath?
It is important to understand what a psychopath is, this will help us to understand why some people think cats might be psychopaths too.
A psychopath is “callous, selfish, and it uses others remorselessly.” It also describes someone with an antisocial, persistently unstable, and socially unexpected lifestyle.
A psychopath is someone who lacks empathy, looks bored at all times, manipulates to get what they want, has an air of superiority all the time, and so on.
Felines are solitary animals and are often perceived to be selfish and manipulative – classic qualities of a psychopath.
Why Are Cats Psychopaths?
A study was conducted in 2017 to determine psychopathy in cats. The study developed the triarchic model of psychopathy. Each of the traits found in the triarchic model of psychopathy was discovered in cats. Hence, cats could be psychopaths.
Another reason why some people think that cats are psychopaths is that cats don’t have lots of facial muscles, so they give a blank stare. Rather than giving facial expressions, cats communicate in other ways, using their ears, tails, and other body languages. They also actively manipulate the people around them to get what they want but don’t we all.
For instance, when cats want something – food, water, freedom, etc., they produce this special, high-frequency purr that resembles the cry of a human baby. Cats intentionally take advantage of this sound that mimics a human baby to manipulate you.
Aside from manipulation, cats also lack empathy and have shallow emotions. A Professor of Veterinary Behavioural Medicine once said that no matter how much we think our cats love us, the affection between cats and their owners is not reciprocated.
While cats display common traits associated with psychopathy – selfishness, callousness, and remorseless use of others, you can blame your cat’s psychopathy traits on evolution. Yes, these traits are possibly the result of evolution.
Nevertheless, it seems these traits have now backfired as cats are domesticated and raised in our homes.
According to the study, the psychopathic behaviours in ancient cats possibly made them better suited for a solitary lifestyle and gave them better access to necessary resources such as food, water, and warm human laps.
Some researchers from the University of Edinburgh compared the personality traits of domestic cats to those of wild cats and other big cats. They found out that similar personality traits are found in all cats. That is, all the personality traits and characteristics found in those cute domestic cats are also present in lions.