Impact of Living Environment on Attachment Behaviour in Domestic Cats from Private Homes and Shelters

Since cats often struggle to acclimate to laboratory settings, a key requirement for effective testing, we adapted Ainsworth's Strange Situation Test (SST) for use in environments familiar to the cats. We examined 82 cat-caregiver dyads from private households and animal shelters using a standardised five-phase video procedure comprising distinct phases of presence, separation, and reunion between the cats and their human caregivers. Seven attachment-related behaviours were recorded via focal animal sampling and analysed using mixed models. Significant differences were observed in exploratory behaviour, physical contact, play (social, object, and locomotor), passive behaviour, and vocalisation. Cats from private homes exhibited more exploratory and play behaviour, particularly after reuniting with their caregiver, indicating a positive influence of the familiar person's presence. Cats from animal shelters exhibited reduced play behaviour, more passive behaviour, and more frequent purring, particularly following reunion. Physical contact increased following separations, indicating attachment. Meowing was most frequent during absences and reunions, possibly reflecting stress and renewed social contact. Outdoor access emerged as a potential influencing factor for exploratory behaviour. In summary, attachment behaviours in cats were significantly influenced by the living environment, access to the outdoors, and the presence of familiar or unfamiliar individuals. Certain test phases elicited particularly strong behavioural responses.