Cats may have an independent reputation, but new research suggests that we share our own connections with them – driven by brain chemistry.
The main chemical involved is oxytocin, often called love hormone. When a mother holds a baby, a friend holds it, or develops trust and love, it is the same neurochemical. And now, the research under investigation shows that oxytocin is also important for cat-human binding.
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Oxytocin suppresses the stress hormone cortisol and activates the parasympathetic nervous system (remaining and digestive system) to relax the body, thus providing a sedative effect on humans and animals.
Scientists have long known that friendly interactions cause the release of oxytocin in both dogs and their owners, creating mutual feedback loops of binding. However, until recently, little was known about its effectiveness in cats.
Cats are more sensitive to showing affection. However, their owners often report the same warm relationship and stress relief feelings that dog owners do. And research is increasingly supporting these reports. For example, Japanese researchers reported in 2021 that short interaction sessions with cats increase oxytocin levels in many owners.
In that study, women interacted with cats for several minutes while scientists measured their owner’s hormone levels. The results suggested that friendly contact (stroking cats, talking in a gentle tone) was associated with an increase in oxytocin in human saliva compared to a quiet period of cat-free rest.
Many people may feel that poor cats soothe them, and research shows that it is not just for soft fur. Even the act of interacting and the sound of paring can release oxytocin into our brains. A 2002 study found that this oxytocin rush from mild cat contact helps lower cortisol (the stress hormone), which can reduce blood pressure and even pain.
When is oxytocin released between cats and humans?
Research identifies specific moments that cause this hormone release in our heterologous friendship. Gentle physical contact appears to be the main trigger for the cat.
A February 2025 survey found that when owners hug, hug, or hold a cat, their owner’s oxytocin tends to rise, and if cats do not interact with the animal,
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Researchers monitored cats for oxytocin during a 15-minute play and cuddled with their owners at home. Safely attached cats that began contact such as lap sits and nudges showed a surge in oxytocin. The longer they spend close to humans, the greater the boost.
What about the very difficult cats? The same study points to different patterns of cats with more anxious or lonely attachment styles. Avoiding cats (who maintains distance) showed no significant oxytocin changes, but the worried cats (who are constantly looking for owners, but are easily overwhelmed by handling) had high oxytocin in the first place.
It turns out that the avoidant and anxious cat oxytocin falls after a forced embrace. When interactions respect cat comfort, oxytocin flows, but when cats feel they are rounding their corners, the binding hormone is elusive.
Maybe humans could learn something from cat friends to manage the style of attachments. The key to bonding with cats is to understand how they communicate.
Unlike dogs, cats do not rely on long-term eye contact to bond. Instead, use a more modest signal. The best known is the slow blinking. It’s a cat’s smile, signaling safety and trust.
Purring also plays a role in bonding with people. The low-frequency rumble of cat Purr is linked not only to the healing of the cat itself, but also to its calming effects on humans. Listening to Purring lowers your heart rate and blood pressure. Oxytocin mediates these benefits.
Cat dating, enhanced by all the small oxytocin boosts from daily interactions, can serve as a buffer for anxiety and depression.
Do cats have less affection than dogs?
It is true that studies generally find stronger oxytocin responses in dog-human interactions. In a widely discussed 2016 experiment, scientists measured oxytocin in pets and owners before and after a 10-minute play. Dogs showed an average spike of 57% of oxytocin levels after playtime, while cats showed an increase of about 12%.
In humans, oxytocin levels are elevated during meaningful social interactions. Research has shown that contact with a loved one produces a stronger oxytocin reaction than contact with a stranger. So, a happy dog greeting is similar to the rush of seeing your child or partner.
Dogs, pack animals domesticated for constant human relationships, are mostly there to seek eye contact, interacting, and approval from us – actions that stimulate the release of oxytocin in both parties. However, cats have evolved from a more lonely hunter who does not require obvious social gestures to survive. Therefore, they may not easily or consistently display oxytocin-fueled behavior. Instead, cats may reserve actions to release oxytocin for when they feel truly safe.
Cat trust is not automatic. You need to earn it. However, once given, it is enhanced by the same chemicals that bind human parents, partners and friends.
So, next time you know that there is something invisible going on happening, such as the cat slowly flashing across the couch or climbing onto his lap, due to a puller-filled embrace. Oxytocin rises in both the brain, deepens trust and relieves stress in daily life. Cats use the ancient biology of love in their own way.
This edited article will be republished from the conversation under a Creative Commons license. Please read the original article.
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