The findings may not come as a surprise to some cat lovers. But many animals, such as birds and rodents, prefer to scavenge for food. That’s why cat behavior experts said they were surprised by the results of the study.
The IndependentAccording to , the research team put 17 cats with hard-earned food in a toy and easily accessible food on a plate.
It was seen that 4 of the cats chose the toy, while 8 cats preferred the free food. Five cats were reported to have “weak” interest in the toy.
Scientists also observed how much the cats in the study moved. The findings, published in the peer-reviewed scientific journal Animal Cognition, showed that even more active cats prefer free food.
“Many studies show that most animals, including birds, rodents, wolves, primates, and even giraffes, prefer to work for food,” said Mikel Delgado, lead author of the study.
Cats seem to be the only species that surprisingly does not prefer this behavior.
On the other hand, it is unknown why cats choose free food.
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