Your cat psychopath? Here's special test to find it out
Scientists have created a test to assess psychopathy in cats (photo: Getty Images)
Do you know what your cat is thinking? Most likely not—and that’s something nearly all cat owners can relate to. But now, scientists have developed a questionnaire that may offer insights into where your cat falls within the so-called triarchic model of psychopathy. Here’s what this test is and what kind of data pet owners can gain, according to Personality Research.
Why did scientists develop this test?
By testing your pet, you can learn many fascinating things about them. The model measures levels of boldness, meanness, and disinhibition to assess general psychopathic tendencies. Similar tests are usually designed for humans, but this one was specifically adapted for cats.
Once the questionnaire is completed, you'll receive a CAT-Tri+ score, which helps estimate your pet’s level of psychopathy. According to the research team, understanding these scores can improve the relationship between humans and their feline companions.
"Our cats and their differing personalities inspired us to start this research. Personally, I am also interested in how owner perceptions of psychopathy in their cat can affect the cat-owner relationship. My cat Gumball scores relatively highly on the disinhibition scale – which means he can be quite vocal, proximity-seeking, and excitable," said Rebecca Evans, a psychologist from the University of Liverpool.
Understanding your cat's character helps you better connect with them (photo: freepik.com)
What’s in the questionnaire?
The survey includes questions about how adventurous your cat is when exploring, how it reacts to danger and to other cats, whether it needs constant stimulation, and how well it follows household rules.
What does the psychopathy test measure?
The test also looks at associated behaviors like mood swings, aggression toward new people, and responses to being petted. For each trait, owners rate their cat on a scale from "does not describe my cat" to "describes my cat extremely well."
Other factors—like hostility toward people or other pets—are included to help better understand the cat-owner relationship.
In total, the test includes 46 questions that calculate your cat’s CAT-Tri+ psychopathy score. In humans, psychopathy is often linked with a lack of empathy and a tendency to manipulate others, though on the surface, psychopaths may appear normal and even charming.
Why were cats aggressive in ancient times?
"It is likely that all cats have an element of psychopathy as it would have once been helpful for their ancestors in terms of acquiring resources: for example, food, territory, and mating opportunities," the researcher added.
The ultimate goal of the testing is to help us better understand our cats. Cats scoring higher in boldness, for example, might enjoy scratch posts or obstacle courses more than others.
All cats have some element of psychopathy (photo: freepik.com)
By the way, unwanted cats are still frequently abandoned or sent to shelters, and the research team hopes this kind of psychological testing will help identify problematic behavior early on. That way, it could be addressed through improved care, rehoming strategies, or even training from an early age.
"Disinhibition and pet-unfriendliness predicted a higher quality cat-owner relationship; meanness and boldness predicted a lower quality relationship," the study’s authors noted.
Testing can be found here.
Earlier, we described 5 clear signs your cat is sad or stressed – even if they seem fine
