It's Official: Your Cat Isn't That Into You After All

I've got good news and bad news for cat owners. Everybody else . . . as you were, none of this will come as a surprise.

I know a lot of us have issues when you leave in the morning. Your sweet little fur babies will give you that "how dare you leave me" look. The good news is, your cats probably aren't lying around depressed when you leave them home alone all day. The bad news is, they might not MISS you either. Which doesn't track with how she's yelling so loudly for me I can hear her through my back door, but okay.

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Researchers in the U.K. recently observed how 20 cats interacted with their owners, and found that cats don't rely on us for a sense of protection the way dogs do. Shocking news.

In other words, dogs get separation anxiety and miss you when you're gone, because they see you as their protector. But cats are more independent and don't see you that way, so they don't care as much when you leave them alone.

A good example of the protector thing is when someone new comes over to visit. Dogs tend to stay close to you in that situation, either to protect you or because they expect you to protect THEM. But cats don't rely on you for that, so they just run and hide.

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The researchers did find that cats meowed more after their owner left them alone than when a complete stranger hung out and then left.

But they think it's just a sign of frustration or boredom. Because the cats didn't really show any OTHER signs of social attachment with their owners. I don't know who these cats were, but they need to have a talk with my cats. When I get home, they both always have to follow me around for a few minutes. When I'm coming up to the door, they both come to the kitchen to wait for me to unlock it. There's usually a yeowl or two that I can hear through the door because I'm not opening it quickly enough. And Kitten has to sit on me as soon as possible. She's always hollering at me, and Figgy will sometimes just.... meow for me from the other room.

Do you think your pets miss you when you leave? What makes you feel that way?

Cattingly yours,
Behka

LOOK: Here are the pets banned in each state

Because the regulation of exotic animals is left to states, some organizations, including The Humane Society of the United States, advocate for federal, standardized legislation that would ban owning large cats, bears, primates, and large poisonous snakes as pets.

Read on to see which pets are banned in your home state, as well as across the nation.

Gallery Credit: Elena Kadvany