Published in Applied Animal Behaviour Science, the study involved over 400 cat owners from Austria and Germany, who rated their cats' quality of life with an impressive average score of 89 out of 100. Participants were asked about their cats' behavior, health, living environment, and their relationship with humans in the household. They were also tasked with providing an overall evaluation of their cat's quality of life. These personal assessments were then compared to a structured welfare evaluation based on 54 indicators, including energy levels, mood, physical condition, appetite, and the quality of human-cat interactions.
The findings revealed that while owners' intuitive assessments were correlated with the structured evaluations, they did not always align closely. This suggests a systematic gap between owners' perceptions and the results of detailed analyses.
What Do We See – and What Do We Overlook?
The study found that cat owners are particularly attuned to visible and direct signals. A curious, alert, and active cat is perceived as happy, while signs of fear, illness, or discomfort lead to lower ratings. However, some crucial factors that significantly impact a cat's well-being often go unnoticed.
One example is the cat's body weight. This had little influence on owners' assessments. Researchers describe this as a form of "evaluation blindness"—the welfare costs of obesity are largely invisible in daily life, despite well-documented evidence that obesity in cats reduces activity levels and shortens lifespan.
Similarly, age plays a role. Older cats, which may be less mobile and energetic, were often rated as positively as younger ones – likely because the changes are gradual and less noticeable. "Cat owners are truly attentive to their pets, but our findings suggest that the factors most likely to go unnoticed are those that quietly accumulate over time," explains lead author Andrea Sommese from the Center for Animal Nutrition and Welfare Sciences at Vetmeduni. "Weight gain, the slowing down associated with aging, and a gradual reduction in opportunities for natural behaviors – all of these factors are important for well-being, even if they don't typically raise alarms."
The Importance of the Human-Animal Bond
One particularly encouraging result of the study is the significance of the relationship between humans and cats. Loving interactions, such as petting, sitting together, or talking to the cat, positively impact their well-being. Additionally, an environment that allows for natural behaviors like climbing, exploring, hunting, and playing contributes to their comfort and happiness.
Interestingly, these relationship and environmental factors were captured in the structured evaluation but were largely absent from owners' intuitive assessments. According to Sommese, this is not a criticism but rather an explanation of how human perception works. We tend to notice the immediately visible- like a cat greeting us at the door, eating well, or comfortably sitting on our lap – which suggests contentment. And they may indeed be happy. However, many factors influencing quality of life are less obvious in daily life.
"This shows us that a cat's well-being is shaped by factors we don't always consciously perceive,"* says co-author Ines Windschnurer. “The quiet bond between cats and their humans, their environment, and subtle age- or weight-related changes all play a role. When owners' insights are combined with structured evaluations, we gain a more complete picture and can support cats earlier and more effectively.”
What Can We Do?
Perhaps a gentle reminder can help us view our cats' lives from a fresh perspective – curiosity rather than concern. Is my cat moving as easily as before? Are there enough quiet moments and stimulating activities in their environment? Researchers are continuing to develop practical tools to better assess feline well-being and respond proactively. In the meantime, we can take action ourselves: by observing closely, creating enriching environments, and nurturing the bond we share, we can ensure that our cats not only appear content but are truly happy.
The article "Exploring the quality of life in cats: How caretaker perceptions shape simple and systematic assessments" by Andrea Sommese, Katharina Galunder, Christine Arhant, Raffaela Lesch, Akos Pákozdy, Zsófia Virányi and Ines Windschnurer was published in Applied Animal Behaviour Science.
Scientific contact:
Dr. Andrea Sommese
Zentrum für Tierernährung und Tierschutzwissenschaften
Veterinärmedizinische Universität Wien (Vetmeduni)
andrea.sommese@vetmeduni.ac.at