一项针对社交媒体内容的新研究发现，人们普遍误解猫咪的痛苦表现，将其错认为玩耍或兴奋[1]。研究分析了来自YouTube、TikTok、Instagram和Facebook的11个视频中的1100条评论，这些视频中都出现了猫咪明显的压力迹象，包括嘶鸣、咬伤、逃脱尝试以及可见的人类伤害[1]。令人惊讶的是，对所有这些视频的评论中，75-93%都是正面的[1]，反映出观众对猫咪肢体语言的广泛误解。
研究揭示了人类在与猫互动时存在的五大常见误解[1]：认为"真正的痛苦是明显的"、将压力误认为是兴奋、假设"猫咪知道这只是玩耍"、认为粗暴互动是"获得信任的方式"，以及将其视为"猫咪表达爱的方式"[1]。为改善人类与猫的互动，研究提出了具体建议：让猫选择是否参与活动、避免粗暴玩耍、使用距离类玩具，以及留意猫咪表示厌倦的微妙信号[1]。
A new analysis of social media content has exposed widespread misunderstanding of feline distress, with viewers regularly mistaking clear signs of cat suffering for entertainment or excitement. [1] Researchers examined 1,100 comments across eleven videos posted on YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook, all of which contained obvious indicators of cat distress including hissing, biting, escape attempts, visible human-inflicted injuries, and in some cases physical harm to the animals. [1] Between 75 and 93 percent of comments on these videos expressed positive sentiment, suggesting a significant disconnect between what viewers were observing and how they were interpreting it. [1]
The research identified five recurring cognitive distortions that lead people to reframe feline suffering as acceptable behavior: the belief that genuine pain is always obvious, the confusion of stress with excitement, the assumption that cats understand the interaction is "just play," the notion that rough handling builds trust, and the idea that it represents the cat's way of showing affection. [1] To improve human-cat interactions, the study recommends allowing cats to choose whether to participate in play, avoiding rough physical engagement, using distance-based toys, and paying close attention to subtle signals that indicate a cat has grown tired or uncomfortable. [1]
