Work

Cats and humans show correlated affiliative physiological states

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Cats are among the world's most popular companion animals. Owner-pet hormonal synchrony is documented in dogs but untested in cats. We measured oxytocin and cortisol in 19 owners and 29 pet cats over one month, and examined owner mood and owner-cat proximity via Bluetooth beacons. Owner and cat oxytocin were positively associated, whereas their cortisol concentrations showed little association. Higher cat oxytocin was linked to lower owner cortisol and less negative mood, while higher owner cortisol was linked to more negative mood. Closer proximity predicted higher owner vigor, and exploratory behavioral testing linked cat oxytocin to social approach and cortisol to reduced approach toward strangers. Unlike the cortisol-centered synchrony reported in human-dog dyads, human-cat relationships may center on oxytocin, extending interspecies hormonal findings to a species with a distinct domestication history. These correlations may partly reflect shared household environments rather than dyad-specific interactions, an issue that future studies should address.

Source: iScience

DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2026.117934

Authors: Saho Takagi, Taisuke Tsubomura, Miho Nagasawa, Takefumi Kikusui

Institutions: Kyoto University, The Hakubi Center for Advanced Research, Kyoto University, Institute for the Future of Human Society, Kyoto University, Azabu University

Language: English

Topic: Human-Animal Interaction Studies

Subfield: Animal Science and Zoology

Field: Agricultural and Biological Sciences

Domain: Life Sciences

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,240

Funders: Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Kyoto University, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science