研究表明，你的猫的“坏”行为可能意味着它们想念你

If your cat won't stop shredding the toilet paper and urinating on your couch, it could be a result of separation anxiety, a new study suggests.

一项新的研究表明，如果你的猫不停地撕厕纸和在你的沙发上小便，这可能是分离焦虑的结果。

Many studies have observed owner separation problems in dogs, but the same research hasn't been done for cats. Recent studies have found, however, that indoor cats are social and develop bonds with their owners.

许多研究观察了狗的主人分离问题，但没有对猫进行同样的研究。然而，最近的研究发现，家养的猫是社会性的，它们会与主人建立联系。

To assess separation-related issues in our feline companions, researchers gave 130 owners of adult cats in Brazil a questionnaire on their cat's behaviors, interactions and living environment. Out of 223 cats, 13.5% had at least one separation-related problem -- such as destructive behaviors or distressed mental states -- challenging the commonly held idea that cats are happy alone.

为了评估我们的猫科动物同伴的分离相关问题，研究人员向巴西130名成年猫的主人发放了一份关于他们的猫的行为、互动和生活环境的问卷。在223只猫中，13.5%的猫至少有一种与分离有关的问题，比如破坏性行为或痛苦的精神状态，这些问题质疑了人们通常认为的猫独处时很快乐的观点。

"Some people believe that domestic cats are unable to develop an attachment to their caregivers/owners, but this idea was not confirmed by recent studies, showing that these animals can establish bonds with their owners," said study author Aline Cristina Sant'Anna, a professor of zoology at the Federal University in Brazil.

“有些人认为家猫无法与它们的看护者/主人建立亲密关系，但最近的研究并没有证实这一观点，研究表明，这些动物可以与主人建立联系，”研究作者、巴西联邦大学动物学教授艾琳·克里斯蒂娜•圣安娜说。

"Our study suggests that these animals might suffer when separated from their attachment figure."

“我们的研究表明，当这些动物与它们的依恋人物分离时，它们可能会遭受痛苦。”

What cats do when they're alone

猫独处时会做什么

The questionnaire distributed to cat owners was based on prior research on separation anxiety syndrome in dogs, according to the study published Wednesday in the journal PLOS ONE. It asked them about behaviors and body language their pets displayed when caretakers were absent from home.

根据周三发表在《公共科学图书馆•综合》杂志上的一项研究，这份分发给猫主人的调查问卷是基于此前对狗的分离焦虑综合症的研究。研究人员询问了他们的宠物在主人不在家时的行为和肢体语言。

Since there weren't any cameras observing the cats, the owners answered based on evidence from reports by other residents, neighbors or any signs the cat left in the home, such as feces, urine or broken objects, Sant'Anna said.

圣安娜说，由于没有任何摄像头对猫进行观察，猫的主人是根据其他居民、邻居的报告或猫留在家里的任何迹象(比如粪便、尿液或破碎的物体)来回答猫的问题的。

Thirty out of 223 cats met at least one of the behavioral criteria the researchers used to define separation-related problems.

223只猫中有30只至少符合研究人员用来定义分离相关问题的行为标准之一。

Nearly 67% of thosecats exhibited destructive behavior, followed by excessive vocalization, urination in inappropriate places, depression-apathy, aggressiveness, agitation-anxiety.

近67%的猫表现出破坏性行为，其次是过度发声、在不适当的地方小便、抑郁冷漠、攻击性、焦虑不安。

They could just be frustrated

他们可能只是感到沮丧

While the study suggests some cats' "bad" behavior may be a result of separation anxiety, Johnson said the matter is case dependent. She hasn't seen a lot of separation anxiety as much as she's noticed bored and frustrated behavior stemming from a lack of enrichment.

虽然研究表明，一些猫的“坏”行为可能是分离焦虑的结果，但约翰逊说，这一问题取决于具体情况。她没有看到太多的分离焦虑，因为她注意到无聊和沮丧的行为源于缺乏充实。

If your cat won't stop urinating or defecating on the floor or on your bed, it might be time to take her to the vet. Some behaviors that might be annoying to us may be even more painful for them: These missteps could indicate that your pet is dealing with an underlying medical condition, Johnson said.

如果你的猫不停地在地板上或你的床上撒尿、排便，也许是时候带它去看兽医了。

约翰逊说，有些行为可能会让我们感到厌烦，但对他们来说可能更痛苦:这些失误可能表明你的宠物正在应对潜在的健康问题。