A game-changing discovery in cat behavior: It was discovered that meows are commands given to humans

The research, conducted by animal behaviorists at the University of Sao Paulo and published in the journal Animal Behaviour, revealed that cats evolved the act of meowing as a means of communication solely for humans. In an experimental study conducted on 38 domestic cats, it was documented that the sounds cats make when faced with problems they cannot solve on their own directly aim to trigger human intervention.

The research team set up an experiment by placing their favorite foods in perforated plastic boxes that cats could not open on their own. The behavior of the cats when they encountered this obstacle was recorded for 1 minute in two different scenarios, whether a human was present in the room or not.

Examinations showed that cats meowed a total of 86 times when there was a person in the room, and this number was only 20 when they were left alone in the room. Statistical analysis showed that the likelihood of meowing increased by more than 16 times in the presence of humans.

Video analysis revealed that cats not only make sounds but also use eye contact as a means of communication. It was determined that cats direct their gaze between the food box and the person in the room while meowing, and when there is no person in the room, they wait for help by looking at the door.

Researchers emphasize that this proves that cats do not randomly emit sounds to the environment, but communicate directly towards "the target that can produce a solution."

Pointing out that cats in the wild almost never meow to each other during adulthood, scientists state that domestic cats see people with the "thumb advantage" as a solution to meet their needs after they start living with humans.

Experts note that the study conducted proves that cats perceive humans not only as food and care providers, but also as tools to correct the problems in their own environment.